Dear crag-music lovers, drone pilots, and videographers:

Dear music lovers, drone pilots and videographers:

Music and buzzing drones at the crag are a distracting annoyance to other climbers who are trying to enter a focused, meditative state prior to an onsight or redpoint burn, or while climbing a serious pitch up in the mountains. So, please be considerate of other climbers and nature lovers by considering the following alternatives:
- Buy a pair of bluetooth ear buds, which have superior sound quality when compared to phone speakers, a range up to a rope length, and are super cheap on Amazon.
- Closeup shots of climbers are way more exciting than drone footage, so trade in your drone for some rigging equipment or new lenses to make your next climbing video.  

Thanks!

PS - I love music and climbing videos!

Now, I'd like to hear peoples thoughts how to incorporate these ethics into some kind of broadly accepted code, like LNT? Any magazine (Climbing, Rock and Ice, Alpinist, Gripped), or retailer/manufacturer (Black Diamond Equipment, Patagonia, REI, Backcountry.com, etc) that would publish something related to this would gain a great deal of respect from the climbing community.

Braden Downey wrote: Any magazine (Climbing, Rock and Ice, Alpinist, Gripped), or retailer/manufacturer (Black Diamond Equipment, Patagonia, REI, Backcountry.com, etc) that would publish something related to this would gain a great deal of respect from the climbing community.

Those companies benefit from the images and videos regardless of how they are captured. I would be surprised to see a climbing media outlet come out against what has become mainstream techniques. It would be nice though...

Pulling the plug on "Weekend Whippers" would be a start.

Braden Downey wrote: Dear music lovers, drone pilots and videographers:

Music and buzzing drones at the crag are a distracting annoyance to other climbers who are trying to enter a focused, meditative state prior to an onsight or redpoint burn, or while climbing a serious pitch up in the mountains.

Braden, the problem isn't that people don't know this, it's that they don't care. 

Have you considered killing their crag dog?

David Bruneau wrote:

Braden, the problem isn't that people don't know this, it's that they don't care. 

Regardless whether they are oblivious, inconsiderate, or just don't give a f**k about other climbers, I'm certain we will see less of this behavior if it becomes a more talked about, controversial issue.

apoet wrote:

Those companies benefit from the images and videos regardless of how they are captured. I would be surprised to see a climbing media outlet come out against what has become mainstream techniques. It would be nice though...

We should all call out and public condone drone footage, like this mediocre drone video of Ondra at the creek, posted by Rock and Ice:  https://rockandice.com/videos/climbing/adam-ondra-on-hot-pork-sundae-5-13-indian-creek-drone-footage/ 

Braden Downey wrote: 
Now, I'd like to hear peoples thoughts how to incorporate these ethics into some kind of broadly accepted code, like LNT?

Pretty much every organizationally accepted LNT policy includes some note about considerations towards others, particularly with respect to noise level. Unfortunately, it seems like there are just too many people who don't really care about these ethics, and LNT in general.

I think this topic pops up about every other month. I agree that those folks are totally inconsiderate....but they probably view the climbers that don't want all that noise as inconsiderate of what helps them enjoy nature...it's a weird situation. Usually I just shake my head, pack up and move to somewhere quiet.

Guess I should stop by and without being confrontational let them know why I am leaving. Think that strategy would at least keep them from showing up at the spot I just moved to?

Okay, so if I am the only one rocking up to the crag, do I have to turn my speaker off? I am more than happy to turn it off when someone else rocks up.

Braden Downey wrote:

Regardless whether they are oblivious, inconsiderate, or just don't give a f**k about other climbers, I'm certain we will see less of this behavior if it becomes a more talked about, controversial issue.

This kind of stuff still happens in Ontario, where bad behaviour has gotten crags shut down, and all gyms have signs about outdoor etiquette. I agree though, that education can reduce, but not eliminate bad behaviour. 

The thing that bothers me most about drones: We finally have ubiquitous technology that can follow along and film a climber from any angle, and it gets used sweeping, dramatic shots in over-edited videos. I would be happy to see a video with the climber just centered in the frame with no cuts. Hold the music.

John Clark wrote: Okay, so if I am the only one rocking up to the crag, do I have to turn my speaker off? I am more than happy to turn it off when someone else rocks up.

I don't see why you would have to turn it off if you're actually alone, as long as its not so loud it's going to be heard by someone you can't see around the corner, or hikers/other nearby users if its not a strictly climbing area

John Clark wrote: Okay, so if I am the only one rocking up to the crag, do I have to turn my speaker off? I am more than happy to turn it off when someone else rocks up.

yes, but only because you used 'rocking' and 'rocks' in one sentence

Braden Downey wrote: Dear music lovers, drone pilots and videographers:

Music and buzzing drones at the crag are a distracting annoyance to other climbers who are trying to enter a focused, meditative state prior to an onsight or redpoint burn, or while climbing a serious pitch up in the mountains. So, please be considerate of other climbers and nature lovers by considering the following alternatives:
- Buy a pair of bluetooth ear buds, which have superior sound quality when compared to phone speakers, a range up to a rope length, and are super cheap on Amazon.
- Closeup shots of climbers are way more exciting than drone footage, so trade in your drone for some rigging equipment or new lenses to make your next climbing video.  

Thanks!

PS - I love music and climbing videos!

Now, I'd like to hear peoples thoughts how to incorporate these ethics into some kind of broadly accepted code, like LNT? Any magazine (Climbing, Rock and Ice, Alpinist, Gripped), or retailer/manufacturer (Black Diamond Equipment, Patagonia, REI, Backcountry.com, etc) that would publish something related to this would gain a great deal of respect from the climbing community.

disagree. Don't over generalize climbers. I don't give too shits about any of this, doesn't bother me one iota. I think you are the problem sir, not acknowledging or tolerating how others like to enjoy themselves.

jleining wrote:

disagree. Don't over generalize climbers. I don't give too shits about any of this, doesn't bother me one iota. I think you are the problem sir, not acknowledging or tolerating how others like to enjoy themselves.

...says he/she doesn't give too shits but then goes on to express opinion on the problem...nice.

If that tiny shenanigans could distract your focus you have no focus at all.

These issues aren’t black and white like LNT. I personally despise noise and technology at the crag and prefer being alone in nature. I live on the Front Range so I’m lucky in that there are enough abandoned crags here to climb every day for the rest of my life and never see another person. Others aren’t so lucky. Those who live in areas that only have one good crag, etc are in a different situation. I would be livid if I didn’t have any secluded crags to go to. As it stands, I’m just happy to avoid Boulder Canyon and the like.

I feel like areas with less options should have better local ethics about noise pollution in particular. The majority of climbers don’t want to hear music at the crag so the majority of crags should not have music at them, etc. that’s my perspective. I’m happy to let people blast music til their ears bleed, stumble over fighting dogs and whip off 5.8’s because they’re distracted by drones up at Sport Park and Avalon in BoCan. There should be places for that and other places where it is not accepted.

Questions: Do speakers and music exist naturally in the environment you're climbing in? Is there some sort of endemic drone that's existed at the crag prior to it becoming a climbing area?

If the answer to the one of the above is no, then leave them at home. The argument of being considerate to others that may want music or drones is BS. These objects are altering the natural state of the environment and should not be considered appropriate unless all the users around them are ok with it.