CLOUDING THE MOUNTAIN: music & graffiti

Ja, ja, I know ...

Spray-painted mountain rock, a particular form of pollution one might call art, should not get digital air. But the above graffiti on a mountan road barrier fits this theme: mountain music.

One occasionally hears spontaneous song, drum, or ritual chant on Table Mountain. From spiritual gatherings, to touring teams of north English school hockey and rugby players belting it out as they hike up Plattelkip, you hear it. And, yep. I get it. It's part of the vibe.

But the vibe diminishes when on Table Mountain's most-traveled foot route you hear recorded beat pumping loudly out of some backpacks, or from handheld boomboxes.

On a busy day the trail can be such a multinational mix of comradely toil that it could seem that blaring speakers are a natural part of the way thing are are done. With no rangers on any of the mountain's main paths, etc) it could be assumed it's ok to blast it out everywhere, on any mountain.

Like graffiti, playing music is against the Park's rules ... Well, ok, ok, maybe an exception on Platteklip Gorge trail should be made. Let cultural shift flow, give the mountain Masterblasters Their Way. And why not bring in drones. Let's live-stream all hikes on every trail.

But what about :

oh ja ...

TMNP should make a choice, though. If only to reduce chance of misunderstandings and save the good vibes. And more crucially, if breaching the no music rule is assumed to be ok, you run the risk of other more safety-orientated regulations being ignored as well.

So, music, no music?

16 October 2022

More on the problem of Table Mountain graffiti

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