Camino Irritants

[Bob Howard]

“I get irritated when I am constantly listening to the tap, tap, tap of others' poles, or to incessant chatter, or even worse.....music.”

Saw this quote in another thread. I did a search but couldn’t find anything about solutions. Can anyone recommend earplugs—wax or foam—or maybe noise cancelling headphones that would help maintain a pilgrim’s desire for quitetude? I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.

 

[Former member 92300]

Well, for sleeping I do quite well with wax earplugs. I mold them so they cover the ear canal well enough to actually reduce noise.

That said - I wouldn't recommend wearing ear plugs while walking. First - I do recommend listening to the sounds of nature and the Camino. The wind blowing, the birds, the cowbells, and so on. Second - wearing earplugs you can also obscure the sounds of warning - a car coming, a bicyclist behind you, someone warning you to move or stop before getting hurt. The same for listening to music - although you can adjust volume and I don't listen to music MOST of the time - I do when I need something to help me keep walking.

I agree with those that say the tapping of walking sticks is annoying. Especially if it is the walking sticks I am carrying. I do put rubber tips on the end. It helps some - but not enough. But just a nuisance that I learn to live with. Or I just skip the poles for a while.

 

[SabsP]

“I get irritated when I am constantly listening to the tap, tap, tap of others' poles, or to incessant chatter, or even worse.....music.”

Saw this quote in another thread. I did a search but couldn’t find anything about solutions. Can anyone recommend earplugs—wax or foam—or maybe noise cancelling headphones that would help maintain a pilgrim’s desire for quitetude? I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.

Good question about the noise cancelling headphones. Recently I searched for some midprice headphones for a workenvironment.
The big issue of course is that you do need to hear something of your surroundings, especially when walking in a village or on a path.
I do feel for the locals though who are constantly confronted with that irritating tapping.

 

[NicP]

Rubber tips for walking poles are very effective at reducing the tapping. There are tips designed for harder wear on paved surfaces such as those found on many of the paths on the various caminos, and they almost completely eliminate the noise.

Having said that, even when walking in Semana Santa, from Sarria, it was usually possible to speed up or slow down to create some distance between the noisy groups if I felt I needed some quiet time.

Another solution would be to walk at a quieter time of year, or on a less frequented path. If you’re truly irritated by the effects of being exposed to the noise of fellow walkers, then there are plenty of other paths to walk around the world, including in Spain, many of which are very beautiful and quiet. At least for me, part of what makes the camino the camino, is those irritating people. Why else fly all the way around the world? There are plenty of beautiful, quiet paths to walk right here in New Zealand. But they’re not the camino….

 

[good_old_shoes]

It's the complete opposite for me .

Just yesterday I thought I'd really love to have a full album of Camino background sounds.

Of course including the sound of hiking poles on different surfaces, walking on gravel, albergue sounds during communal dinner with the murmuring in all the different languages, the bag rustling in the morning, nighttime sounds with snoring and toilet flushing, but also nature sounds like skylarks, cuckoos, the Sound of cow bells, ect.

If anyone would make an album of that, I'd buy it!

 

[naplesdon]

Gee, you could always buy a large supply of the rubber caps that go on the tips of the poles and hand them out to the offenders. The same sort of effort goes into carrying a trash bag and picking up litter along the Camino.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.

I hope this is quiet enough for you:

 

[naplesdon]

It's the complete opposite for me .

Just yesterday I thought I'd really love to have a full album of Camino background sounds.

Of course including the sound of hiking poles on different surfaces, walking on gravel, albergue sounds during communal dinner with the murmurning in all the different languages, the bag rustling in the morning, nighttime sounds with snoring and toilet flushing, but also nature sounds like skylarks, cuckoos, the Sound of cow bells, ect.

If anyone would make an album of that, I'd buy it!

You are really on to something with that idea. Background noise for your home and office that is better than ambient elevator music which you and I can only relate to. I love it. An audio version of "The Way" similar to listening to the movie's sound track which brings back many pleasant memories to me every time I hear it with my thanks to Tyler Bates and Emilio Esteves.

 

[dick bird]

like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.

I'm going to have to ask this question before somebody else does: do you seriously object to people laughing in albergues?

By the way, a good friend of ours saves champagne corks to deaden the sound of his walking poles tapping on the ground.

 

[perididaperegrina]

It's the complete opposite for me .

Just yesterday I thought I'd really love to have a full album of Camino background sounds.

Of course including the sound of hiking poles on different surfaces, walking on gravel, albergue sounds during communal dinner with the murmurning in all the different languages, the bag rustling in the morning, nighttime sounds with snoring and toilet flushing, but also nature sounds like skylarks, cuckoos, the Sound of cow bells, ect.

If anyone would make an album of that, I'd buy it!

I do stop often, and just video for the sounds as much as anything. One day I will compile them.

 

[Pafayac]

do you seriously object to people laughing in albergues?

I think the problem that the OP mention is not specifically this one.
The problem is that we are more and more on the Camino (deo gratias !).
However, being so many, we have to take care to the other, and to remember that:
- calling a friend at 6 am in an Albergue is very nice for him, but not for the others who try to sleep.
- using poles in a town means rubber
- laughing in an Albergue is very kind, but at 11 pm, it is not very nice for others...
...

 

[VNwalking]

Annoyances...
Nothing is innately annoying.
The sound is just sound. Your mind is creating the annoyance, @Bob Howard. So deal with the annoyance by working with the aversion to it. Much easier than trying to muffle a noisy world.

 

[Kirkie]

The socks on my leki poles are everlasting.
How that helps, no idea!
Irritants, though, that was the opening idea. To be brutally honest, I am my own irritant. If I let you irritate me, I need my head examined.
Let the floodgates open...

 

[VNwalking]

To be brutally honest, I am my own irritant. If I let you irritate me, I need my head examined.

Exactly. Likewise.

 

[Helen Robinson]

“I get irritated when I am constantly listening to the tap, tap, tap of others' poles, or to incessant chatter, or even worse.....music.”

Saw this quote in another thread. I did a search but couldn’t find anything about solutions. Can anyone recommend earplugs—wax or foam—or maybe noise cancelling headphones that would help maintain a pilgrim’s desire for quitetude? I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.

Maybe that is the lesson that is there to be learned. You have to learn to rub along with other people and they may make noise you don't like, or smell or remind you of someone you don't like. But by accepting that you can't control other people's behaviour is one of the caminos big lessons.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

The sound is just sound. Your mind is creating the annoyance

Sounds like tinnitus.

So deal with the annoyance by working with the aversion to it.

When the ringing gets bothersome I start considering that I'm listening to a choir of angels.

 

[Nick Barlow]

The sound of poles that bothers me is the click, scrape, click, scrape, scra-click, scrape, click of someone who's decided they have to walk with two poles but doesn't know how to properly use them so isn't getting any benefit from them...

 

[Jopoke]

“I get irritated when I am constantly listening to the tap, tap, tap of others' poles, or to incessant chatter, or even worse.....music.”

Saw this quote in another thread. I did a search but couldn’t find anything about solutions. Can anyone recommend earplugs—wax or foam—or maybe noise cancelling headphones that would help maintain a pilgrim’s desire for quitetude? I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.

I agree and that's why I choose to use quiet Camino's. Earplugs block the beautiful sound of the birds, wind, chimes and insects.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

I can’t stand the sound of people chewing mouth opened, nor of mouth breathing (especially in confined spaces), so I get it that some sounds grate seriously, but the pole thing? They sound exactly the same in the streets as the canes of the elderly who live there, and yet I’ve never encountered a complain about the sound of hard shoes or canes… and on the trail they are either silent in soft dirt or the same as shoes on the rest; perhaps some examination of whether it is the sound or the idea that is so grating is in order…
Snoring makes me irrationally livid… so I use earplugs if I must sleep in a dorm, but more and more I do get a room and leave the dorms to those in more financial need than I.
I do wish the drunken snorers would get their own rooms… if they can afford that much wine…

 

[Philtration]

How about trying a different, less populated camino. Less people, less sound and disturbance.

 

[rebeca1974]

“I get irritated when I am constantly listening to the tap, tap, tap of others' poles, or to incessant chatter, or even worse.....music.”

Saw this quote in another thread. I did a search but couldn’t find anything about solutions. Can anyone recommend earplugs—wax or foam—or maybe noise cancelling headphones that would help maintain a pilgrim’s desire for quitetude? I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.

Loop quiet noose reduction. I used them on the albergues and could hear a soul

 

[rojasa]

It's the complete opposite for me .

Just yesterday I thought I'd really love to have a full album of Camino background sounds.

Of course including the sound of hiking poles on different surfaces, walking on gravel, albergue sounds during communal dinner with the murmurning in all the different languages, the bag rustling in the morning, nighttime sounds with snoring and toilet flushing, but also nature sounds like skylarks, cuckoos, the Sound of cow bells, ect.

If anyone would make an album of that, I'd buy it!

Ha ha! But seriously, when I need an audible “fix,” I listen to Oliver Schroer’s album Camino. He recorded footsteps, cow bells, birdsong, and local chatter as soundtrack to his beautiful violin playing on a couple of tracks.

 

[Aysen Mustafa]

“I get irritated when I am constantly listening to the tap, tap, tap of others' poles, or to incessant chatter, or even worse.....music.”

Saw this quote in another thread. I did a search but couldn’t find anything about solutions. Can anyone recommend earplugs—wax or foam—or maybe noise cancelling headphones that would help maintain a pilgrim’s desire for quitetude? I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.

I hate it when pilgrims walking are on their phone gossiping with friends and family loudly and for what seems like hours. I really don't want to wear ear plugs when walking, so I try to run past them.

 

[mustang2actual]

And here I was looking at a lighter weight speaker for my pack. I occasionally play music when hiking in the mountains. I am respectful and turn off the sound when around others.

 

[VNwalking]

How about trying a different, less populated camino. Less people, less sound and disturbance.

So...instead of learning resilience we avoid irritants and thereby get more and more incapable of dealing with mild annoyances? No thanks.
(That said I do prefer lonely caminos, TBH, for all sorts of reasons not the least being that they are not party venues.)

The world's never going to be perfect. The camino is a wonderfully benign place to learn how to be balanced in the face of that.
The annoyances aren't usually that bad.

But drunken snorers do make for a bad night to be sure.

I am respectful and turn off the sound when around others.

Ummm. What about everyone who actually lives there, but who doesn't happen to be human? You're probably unwittingly scaring the bejezus out of all sorts of others.

 

[PrayerPose25]

There were parts of the Camino where the tap tap of the hiking poles irritated me, (although the loud groups blaring music on their devices after Sarria far surpassed that annoyance!). My husband flew to Santiago to meet me at the end and booked an AirBnb for a few days with a balcony overlooking the main avenue where pilgrims entered the town. As I watched them come in at a steady stream, I heard the tapping of the hiking poles, and felt wistful for what I'd completed. I heard those sounds and missed the peacefulness of the trail, even with the hiking poles on the pavement. I actually recorded a video (tears streaming down my face as I watched all the pilgrims round the corner to finish their journey) and I must say that it's something I cherish now. That sound, those weary walkers with a sudden spring in their step... it transports me back to Spain like little else does.

 

[Bradypus]

So...instead of learning resilience by avoidance we get more and more incapable of dealing with mild annoyances? No thanks.

I think there has to be a midpoint somewhere. Should we deliberately cultivate resilience by exposing ourselves to situations which we know to be unpleasant and uncomfortable when a far more palatable alternative is readily available? Not sure where the boundaries between mental discipline and masochism lie here. I choose to do most of my Camino walking in winter and on less frequented routes. I know that I can survive a busy Camino Frances in peak season but should I be actively seeking out unpleasant and irritating situations just as a spiritual exercise?

 

[Bob Howard]

Ok, I think I may have fumbled my subtlety. I intended it to be sardonic—hence the reference to audible laughter in an albergue. Although couple of you seemed to get it.

That quote, as indicated in the first sentence, was from another thread and I think that quote pretty much sums up the Camino sentiment that I find far more annoying than any tapping, incessant chatter or music. If you have read any of my other mini-rant posts about so-called over-crowding, you might recognize that quote would be the last thing I would say.

But as to tapping, the only people who might take it seriously are maybe those Spaniards who wake up to it at 5:30 am. But I suspect even those locals may simply hear economic activity.

I hope Ivar doesn’t fine me for what I thought was kind of funny.

But in hindsight, I still think it was mildly funny. I thought my last sentence in the original post was the giveaway:

“I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.”

 

[K_Lynn]

Gee, you could always buy a large supply of the rubber caps that go on the tips of the poles and hand them out to the offenders. The same sort of effort goes into carrying a trash bag and picking up litter along the Camino.

I tried that with one friend I met on Camino. I had a spare pair and gave them to him, he never put them on his poles.

I love my trekking poles, but for early mornings while leaving towns and villages I carried my poles so as not to disturb anyone sensible enough to still be sleeping.

 

[IJS]

A lot of the comments seem to be advising the OP that they have to just be resilient to the noise of others, or that they should just go and walk somewhere less populated. I put froward that there is a general lack of consideration in the world - those who are making the noise are disturbing others, no? Playing music through a speaker on a pilgrim route or in the mountains?? I think it's that person who needs to learn to be considerate and not the others who should learn to accept what they cannot change. I have just got off a train that included several people having very loud and prolonged conversations... on speaker phone, even. I don't think the other train users should have to avoid the train or just accept this - it's not on to pollute the shared environment with your noise. The shared aural space is just that - shared. To dominate it and to tell the peaceful people to go elsewhere or practice resilience is not very well thought out, imo.

 

[David Tallan]

I'm going to have to ask this question before somebody else does: do you seriously object to people laughing in albergues?

By the way, a good friend of ours saves champagne corks to deaden the sound of his walking poles tapping on the ground.

By the end of the post, I assumed it was meant in jest. Otherwise I would have responded with something about the dangers of blocking all sounds when walking.

 

[dougfitz]

“I get irritated when I am constantly listening to the tap, tap, tap of others' poles, or to incessant chatter, or even worse.....music.”

Saw this quote in another thread.

Did you @Bob Howard? I tried a number of ways of finding the source here on the forum or anywhere else on the web. Both Google and DuckDuckGo found it. Unlike you, they only found this in one place, and that is at the start of this thread. Even taking a shorter version of the quote did little to reveal any other sources until the extract was quite short.

This leads me to wonder if this is some form of confected outrage you have generated to anonymise yourself from being the owner of this thought. Given that you have presented this statement as if it is indeed a verbatim quote from another forum member, perhaps you might do the intellectually honest thing and point us to the source.

Alternatively, I will be inclined to believe that you have just made this up.

 

[K_Lynn]

And here I was looking at a lighter weight speaker for my pack. I occasionally play music when hiking in the mountains. I am respectful and turn off the sound when around others.

Shokz headphones are perfect for listening to music while being able to hear bikes,cars or people coming up behind you, as they are bone conducting headphones and don't sit inside your ear.

 

[Bob Howard]

Did you @Bob Howard? I tried a number of ways of finding the source here on the forum or anywhere else on the web. Both Google and DuckDuckGo found it. Unlike you, they only found this in one place, and that is at the start of this thread. Even taking a shorter version of the quote did little to reveal any other sources until the extract was quite short.

This leads me to wonder if this is some form of confected outrage you have generated to anonymise yourself from being the owner of this thought. Given that you have presented this statement as if it is indeed a verbatim quote from another forum member, perhaps you might do the intellectually honest thing and point us to the source.

Alternatively, I will be inclined to believe that you have just made this up.

Nothing conspiratorial about it Doug. I was hoping to avoid disclosing it, but inasmuch as you are one of the most respected members here, here you go:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/when-to-start-the-camino-frances-crowds-vs-weather.80828/#post-1141736

 

[Silvermomma]

Did you @Bob Howard? I tried a number of ways of finding the source here on the forum or anywhere else on the web. Both Google and DuckDuckGo found it. Unlike you, they only found this in one place, and that is at the start of this thread. Even taking a shorter version of the quote did little to reveal any other sources until the extract was quite short.

This leads me to wonder if this is some form of confected outrage you have generated to anonymise yourself from being the owner of this thought. Given that you have presented this statement as if it is indeed a verbatim quote from another forum member, perhaps you might do the intellectually honest thing and point us to the source.

Alternatively, I will be inclined to believe that you have just made this up.

CONFECTED OUTRAGE is my new favorite term

 

[dougfitz]

Nothing conspiratorial about it Doug. I was hoping to avoid disclosing it, but inasmuch as you are one of the most respected members here, here you go:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/when-to-start-the-camino-frances-crowds-vs-weather.80828/#post-1141736

Thank you. I am curious why you chose not to reveal the source initially, but that's not really important now.

 

[pjacobi]

For solitude, avoid following the herd!

In some cases this may not be possible. However, there are many stages with multiple paths to the same destination. The herd always follows the shortest path, so choose the longer, more scenic and quieter route.


-Paul

 

[EugeneB]

I'm going to have to ask this question before somebody else does: do you seriously object to people laughing in albergues?

By the way, a good friend of ours saves champagne corks to deaden the sound of his walking poles tapping on the ground.

I could be wrong, but thought OP was being sarcastic. He probably was saying that all those noises good and bad were a part of the Camino experience. Is it not?

 

[truenorthpilgrm]

And here I was looking at a lighter weight speaker for my pack. I occasionally play music when hiking in the mountains. I am respectful and turn off the sound when around others.

This was a personal gripe on my recent Camino. People casually blasting music through small speakers as if a) I also wanted to hear it, and b) the surrounding community and villages also wanted to hear it. If you’re the only person in the middle of nowhere I can understand, but otherwise…

 

[ficklefancyfree]

Annoyances...
Nothing is innately annoying.
The sound is just sound. Your mind is creating the annoyance, @Bob Howard. So deal with the annoyance by working with the aversion to it. Much easier than trying to muffle a noisy world.

Spoken like a true Vipassana practitioner!

 

[El Cascayal]

By the way, a good friend of ours saves champagne corks to deaden the sound of his walking poles tapping on the ground.

Is this just an excuse to drink champagne?

 

[WestKirsty]

Reading through this thread brought back a memory from my first Camino. I walked the Norte/Primitivo in the summer of 2016 and like so many, was shocked by the sudden increase in the number of pilgrims - and the change in the atmosphere of the Camino - when the route joined the Frances.

Like a few have mentioned here, it was a chance to embrace the Camino for all that it is - all the new sounds, the new people I was meeting. It wasn't easy at first. I needed to find an empty spot off the trail, in the forest to give myself a little talking to and rejoin the crowds with a new mentality and a new approach to my Camino.

But then...

Barbie Girl happened.

I was in a forest section, later in the day to avoid the crowds, and I was walking faster than a young man I was approaching with one of the speakers mentioned above. I normally don't mind a short musical interlude while walking, but it was the song Barbie Girl (by the Venga something or other...I think). I figured 'no big deal', my pace is already quicker, I'll just go even faster, pass him and carry on.

My plan didn't work.

He sped up too.

And then I realized Barbie Girl was playing on repeat. Over and over again. Following me. In a "tranquil" forest. I was not impressed.

I think that was the fastest I have ever walked, trying to get away from Barbie.

But now when I hear the song, it makes me smile. My Barbie Girl etapa

 

[JulieandPeter]

Apparently one man's sarcasm is another's irritant.

 

[dbier]

Noting that sarcasm rarely comes through in a post...this thread evoked opposing reactions in me:

Some people have incredibly sensitive hearing, or are very sensitive to certain sounds. I would recommend knowing that about yourself, and adjusting accordingly. With one glaring exception.

I do semi competitive endurance walks. For the love of everything holy AND YOUR OWN SAFETY, do not block out sounds when you are outdoors. Especially if you are on a single lane track. I've watched people either get hurt or at least get frightened to death because they couldn't/didn't hear warning bells / motors / snake rattles / name your threat.

As one example, a slow runner was going uphill on the left side ( the "passing" lane in the US). The wheelchair racer behind that person *couldn't * slow down, and didn't have enough room to maneuver. She couldn't hear us screaming at her to move right. You can guess the rest.

Be as respectful as you may, compensate as you will. But nature is not always kind.

 

[Former member 92300]

Ok, I think I may have fumbled my subtlety. I intended it to be sardonic—hence the reference to audible laughter in an albergue. Although couple of you seemed to get it.

I must admit - I did wonder if you were being sarcastic about the poles and I figured you were most likely being sarcastic about the laughing... but if I had replied with my initial thoughts it would have come across as a rude reply if you had been serious - so I just decided to treat your annoyance about poles as a serious topic and ignored the laughing part of your post lol

 

[SeaHorse]

I agree with those who say you need therapist if other people existing, walking, being happy irritates you so much. General you.

 

[Walkalong]

“Along our walk we once again successfully engaged in the social Camino that the Francés is.”
Quote in another thread.

Reasons peregrinos sleep in tents include: walking with an animal, claustrophobic, find Albergues stressful, or just wanted a good night sleep.

Irritants? Benches covered with day packs guarded by touragrinos standing, chatting about pedometer readings, leaving no place to rest ... blistered feet, arthritic knees, ... etc.

 

[Kirkie]

Apparently one man's sarcasm is another's irritant.

I think this is a kernel of a problem with indirect, online communication. We have perhaps all become aware of differences in application of the exact same word, used by people from different locations. Nuances do make a difference. Long years ago I discovered that what I thought was hilarious was insulting to someone from a culture at the other end of the globe from mine. I try to remember that, but sometimes I forget.
I have noticed a few comments lately with people observing reactions from posters that seem to shoot down other posters. I rather think perhaps it is a side effect of a lapse of attention to the reality that we live in different worlds, in fact.
I cannot presume you can understand me. And vice versa.
So, while there are times when I consider the moderators to be trigger happy, overall they do preserve a platform of civility, and I do accept that as a lot better than unbridled reactions. A lot better.
A quick glance at the title of this thread tells me I have strayed somewhat, but in the context of this forum, it is ok to post in this thread. In my opinion. Without abbreviations. if I bring coals upon my head - that is a risk, and has always been so. How many people were put in the stocks years ago, for transgressing social norms? This is the same. I could just delete all of this, as I often do when thinking I have something worthwhile to say!
I won't and if I get the metaphorical eggs pelted at me, ha! They will just hit the screen, not my specs!
Dear all, look for the stars, not the specks of dust. Buen camino de la vida.

 

[Richard Smith]

CONFECTED OUTRAGE is my new favorite term

Is that like a really bad sweet?

 

[trecile]

I think this is a kernel of a problem with indirect, online communication. We have perhaps all become aware of differences in application of the exact same word, used by peoiple from different locations

On an international forum like this, Emoji definitely help convey the intention and I encourage their use!

 

[IJS]

Some people have incredibly sensitive hearing, or are very sensitive to certain sounds. I would recommend knowing that about yourself, and adjusting accordingly.

My reply to that is - people polluting the aural space with their music, non stop talking, phone calls, etc, should note that they are disturbing others and adjust accordingly. My experience is that it is usually the most inconsiderate person who will dominate the aural space - filled with the belief that everybody else in the area should accept their behaviour and endure it. It is unreasonable to do as you please when it causes others distress. It is unreasonable to tell people 'endure my behaviour or go elsewhere'.

To then advise people not to use noise cancelling headphones while on a trail because it is dangerous is bizarre - so the noisy person creates a situation in which the peaceful person is suffering their noise and the peaceful person is also advised not to use headphones because it is too dangerous. Isn't it clear that the noisy person is the problem in this scenario?

 

[David]

I think we need to get out more.

 

[Icacos]

I am finding this thread very interesting, the discussion between those who feel transgressed upon and those perceived transgressors. I think there is benefit in hashing out these differences, and especially how one might deal with these irritants, so long as it’s done civilly. Unfortunately I have a plane to catch and am unable to put in my two cents worth. I hope this thread does not go sideways so the mods feel the need to close it.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

On an international forum like this, Emoji definitely help convey the intention and I encourage their use!

While the limited emojis used on this forum are generally understandable, I confess that in other contexts I often have no idea what each one is supposed to mean.

 

[FourSeasons]

I think there has to be a midpoint somewhere. Should we deliberately cultivate resilience by exposing ourselves to situations which we know to be unpleasant and uncomfortable when a far more palatable alternative is readily available? Not sure where the boundaries between mental discipline and masochism lie here. I choose to do most of my Camino walking in winter and on less frequented routes. I know that I can survive a busy Camino Frances in peak season but should I be actively seeking out unpleasant and irritating situations just as a spiritual exercise?

Said in the voice of Jack from Ireland. By the way, I agree.

 

[Bradypus]

Said in the voice of Jack from Ireland. LOL

Scotland in fact. But pretty close

 

[trecile]

While the limited emojis used on this forum are generally understandable, I confess that in other contexts I often have no idea what each one is supposed to mean.

You aren't limited to the emoji provided on the forum. You can use any emoji that you have on your phone/computer.

, etc.

 

[Victoria65]

When the ringing gets bothersome I start considering that I'm listening to a choir of angels.

Yeah nice idea until those angels start screaming! For me sometimes “Camino” noises can help distract me from the incesant ringing.

 

[Walkalong]

A friend with Tinnitus has had good results, at different times, with; wireless earbuds, speakers in the temples of the glasses and sunglasses, wireless bone hearing device, and even a wool hat with some sort of built-in speakers.

We've had success walking in quieter shoulder seasons, and hope to walk quieter caminos in the future.

 

[RobertS26]

Actually, being severely irritated by certain sounds is an actual neurological condition. It's called Mysophonia.

"Repeated noises like chewing, pen tapping, sniffling, or scratching can cause annoyance and frustration for anyone. But for people living with a condition called misophonia, originally known as selective sound sensitivity syndrome, these noises are more than just bothersome. With misophonia, those small sounds, and plenty of others, can be downright unbearable."

For me, someone stirring sugar into their coffee for three minutes makes it impossible for me to remain in a restaurant. The constant "tink, tink, tink," of their spoon hitting their coffee cup is the equivalent of being waterboarded.

And no, you cannot "learn" to ignore certain sounds just like you cannot "learn" to ignore being waterboarded. Why? Because people with misophonia have brains that are wired differently.

 

[Tony Lenton]

Ok, I think I may have fumbled my subtlety. I intended it to be sardonic—hence the reference to audible laughter in an albergue. Although couple of you seemed to get it.

That quote, as indicated in the first sentence, was from another thread and I think that quote pretty much sums up the Camino sentiment that I find far more annoying than any tapping, incessant chatter or music. If you have read any of my other mini-rant posts about so-called over-crowding, you might recognize that quote would be the last thing I would say.

But as to tapping, the only people who might take it seriously are maybe those Spaniards who wake up to it at 5:30 am. But I suspect even those locals may simply hear economic activity.

I hope Ivar doesn’t fine me for what I thought was kind of funny.

But in hindsight, I still think it was mildly funny. I thought my last sentence in the original post was the giveaway:

“I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.”

I do get your humour. My own experience is that humour based on irony or an exaggeratedly cynical world view (both of which come naturally to me) are so often misunderstood that they are best avoided. It’s probably like a wry comment in an Email. All the cues that facilitate spoken humour are absent in writing. It reminds me of a joke by the comedian Bob Monkouse. “ They all laughed when I said I wanted to be a comedian.” (Long pause). “ They’re not laughing now.” I still find that funny but may be the only one. Keep going, though.

 

[Blister Bill]

Good one Bob Hook, line and sinker ! Now as for irritants, what about those moronic head torches favoured by those who wake everyone up so they can enjoy Spanish scenery in the dark or everyone's favourite - cyclists !!

 

[NYSE]

“I get irritated when I am constantly listening to the tap, tap, tap of others' poles, or to incessant chatter, or even worse.....music.”

Saw this quote in another thread. I did a search but couldn’t find anything about solutions. Can anyone recommend earplugs—wax or foam—or maybe noise cancelling headphones that would help maintain a pilgrim’s desire for quitetude? I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.

If there was one thing that irritated me on the Camino (and I want to point out - I loved every minute of it!), I would say the smell of laundry detergent on the clothes of fellow Pilgrims. You see, I'm very allergic to perfumes and the laundry situation almost killed me.

 

[Tincatinker]

Sartre must have spent a lot of time on Camino: “Hell is other people”.

 

[alexwalker]

Sartre must have spent a lot of time on Camino: “Hell is other people”.

I once slept in a small room with 3 old French guys on the VdlP. Small room, no windows. They obviously had been eating lots of beans or whatever in the evening...

The only thing that kept me alive that night was my hope of dying.

 

[Pete Dunn]

Advance warning…. I’m walking part of the Norté next week, followed by the Inglés, along with my titanium tipped poles.

Unfortunately, with 2 new’ish hips and after 3 knee ops they’ve become an essential part of my kit. Rubber tips are great except on wet surfaces (can slip dangerously) and when using poles for balance on rocky/hilly sections.

And if you catch me snoring in an albergue, please throw a boot or kick me…. My wife says I immediately apologise (in my sleep) and shut up!

 

[markie6]

It's one of my theories ( there are many ) that the best thing about the camino is other pilgrims. Often it is the worst thing also. Suffering with misophonia can be tricky when sharing space with others but the great times far outweigh the bad when I am on Camino

 

[tarredon]

Did you @Bob Howard? I tried a number of ways of finding the source here on the forum or anywhere else on the web. Both Google and DuckDuckGo found it. Unlike you, they only found this in one place, and that is at the start of this thread. Even taking a shorter version of the quote did little to reveal any other sources until the extract was quite short.

This leads me to wonder if this is some form of confected outrage you have generated to anonymise yourself from being the owner of this thought. Given that you have presented this statement as if it is indeed a verbatim quote from another forum member, perhaps you might do the intellectually honest thing and point us to the source.

Alternatively, I will be inclined to believe that you have just made this up.

I literally just read the post with this quote in it - it's real!
Of course, don't ask me which thread it's in, my memory's not that good these days, but it was a quite recent one.

 

[tarredon]

Ok, I think I may have fumbled my subtlety. I intended it to be sardonic—hence the reference to audible laughter in an albergue. Although couple of you seemed to get it.

That quote, as indicated in the first sentence, was from another thread and I think that quote pretty much sums up the Camino sentiment that I find far more annoying than any tapping, incessant chatter or music. If you have read any of my other mini-rant posts about so-called over-crowding, you might recognize that quote would be the last thing I would say.

But as to tapping, the only people who might take it seriously are maybe those Spaniards who wake up to it at 5:30 am. But I suspect even those locals may simply hear economic activity.

I hope Ivar doesn’t fine me for what I thought was kind of funny.

But in hindsight, I still think it was mildly funny. I thought my last sentence in the original post was the giveaway:

“I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.”

I thought that your last line was quite funny, and that it clearly indicated that you were being facetious (or perhaps sarcastic) in your posting - not sure how I would have reacted were I not a native English speaker, but it gave me a laugh!

 

[falcon269]

Scotland in fact. But pretty close

"Well, Jack, maybe a dog fight near a cheese farm is simply a dog fight near a cheese farm."

Fitting for parts of this thread!!

The actor is Irish. Nesbitt was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

 

[Bradypus]

The actor is Irish. Nesbitt was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

I am aware of that. But I was replying to a comment about something I had written. And my voice is definitely Scottish!

 

[slmoser]

“I get irritated when I am constantly listening to the tap, tap, tap of others' poles, or to incessant chatter, or even worse.....music.”

Saw this quote in another thread. I did a search but couldn’t find anything about solutions. Can anyone recommend earplugs—wax or foam—or maybe noise cancelling headphones that would help maintain a pilgrim’s desire for quitetude? I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.

We have been using these, they double as night mask and are headphones, we play either music or white noise or edifying prayerful music like the Community of Taize, hope this helps.

Auriculares para dormir Regalos personalizados - Banda deportiva inalámbrica Bluetooth V5.0 Headband, auriculares para dormir ultra suaves altavoces estéreo hd incorporados para deportes, yoga, durmie https://www.amazon.es/dp/B08Y6DQ9ZV?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_6HZZREGVDQ9JRSXBVNSA

 

[WGroleau]

The sound of poles that bothers me is the click, scrape, click, scrape, scra-click, scrape, click of someone who's decided they have to walk with two poles but doesn't know how to properly use them so isn't getting any benefit from them...

How do you drive an engineer crazy?
Tie him to a chair and fold a map wrong in front of him.

I admit to being slightly bothered by folks "doing it wrong" (whatever "it" might be) but I've learned that trying to fix things often has unpleasant side effects.

But the sound itself never bothered me.

And I don't recommend noise-cancelling headphones. Too many pilgrims, even with ears uncovered, somehow could not hear me holler "bicycle!" four meters behind them. I'd have to creep past them at walking speed and hope they don't jump the wrong way when they see me.

 

[mattythedog]

A lot of the comments seem to be advising the OP that they have to just be resilient to the noise of others, or that they should just go and walk somewhere less populated. I put froward that there is a general lack of consideration in the world - those who are making the noise are disturbing others, no? Playing music through a speaker on a pilgrim route or in the mountains?? I think it's that person who needs to learn to be considerate and not the others who should learn to accept what they cannot change. I have just got off a train that included several people having very loud and prolonged conversations... on speaker phone, even. I don't think the other train users should have to avoid the train or just accept this - it's not on to pollute the shared environment with your noise. The shared aural space is just that - shared. To dominate it and to tell the peaceful people to go elsewhere or practice resilience is not very well thought out, imo.

I like Japan. On the trains, they silence their phones and talk in whispers. It should be a universal law

 

[GinaMarie]

Ha ha! But seriously, when I need an audible “fix,” I listen to Oliver Schroer’s album Camino. He recorded footsteps, cow bells, birdsong, and local chatter as soundtrack to his beautiful violin playing on a couple of tracks.

Yes! to Oliver Schroer's Camino. You can find most of the selections on youtube or spotify. Hearing the footsteps just really brings me back.

 

[WalkingInGers]

I like Japan. On the trains, they silence their phones and talk in whispers. It should be a universal law

I like Japan as well to the point of seriously considering walking the Japanese camino which I understand goes from north to south and is way over 1500 kms.

 

[Lurch]

I can’t stand the sound of people chewing mouth opened, nor of mouth breathing (especially in confined spaces), so I get it that some sounds grate seriously, but the pole thing? They sound exactly the same in the streets as the canes of the elderly who live there, and yet I’ve never encountered a complain about the sound of hard shoes or canes… and on the trail they are either silent in soft dirt or the same as shoes on the rest; perhaps some examination of whether it is the sound or the idea that is so grating is in order…
Snoring makes me irrationally livid… so I use earplugs if I must sleep in a dorm, but more and more I do get a room and leave the dorms to those in more financial need than I.
I do wish the drunken snorers would get their own rooms… if they can afford that much wine…

I’d just get old, which I am, and be deaf! ”What did you say”?, over and over and over…

 

[MarkN]

I like Japan as well to the point of seriously considering walking the Japanese camino which I understand goes from north to south and is way over 1500 kms.

Am planning to walk it in Nov!
(however a bit off topic perhaps?)

 

[MarkN]

And here I was looking at a lighter weight speaker for my pack. I occasionally play music when hiking in the mountains. I am respectful and turn off the sound when around others.

Have you seen the shokz open run headphones? Light, comfortable, and do not block the ears so much safer to walk with

Just noticed now K Lynn had the same suggestion

 

[Rita Flower]

I am finding this thread very interesting, the discussion between those who feel transgressed upon and those perceived transgressors. I think there is benefit in hashing out these differences, and especially how one might deal with these irritants, so long as it’s done civilly. Unfortunately I have a plane to catch and am unable to put in my two cents worth. I hope this thread does not go sideways so the mods feel the need to close it.

When transgressed we have options. I often think that the transgressed feel option-less.
Some options might include
1. To quote Bob Marley - stand up for your rights
2. Disengage and transform eg. I started imagining that loud breathing/ soft snoring was the sound of the ocean waves going in and out - very soothing. Loud snoring - practiced gratitude that it wasn’t me and compassion for the sleep apnea sufferer (plus earbuds and music or earplugs)
3. Move to another location / time frame - often not what I would have initially chosen but by better than the ‘irritant’. Some great examples mentioned in other comments.
4. Get to know the ‘irritant’ better - feeling more connection increases tolerance of the previously annoying.
5. Something I haven’t thought of yet (prayer?)

PS I get that the initial poster was being a bit humorous and I can relate to being kept awake by others having fun in the albergue kitchen

 

[Pilgrim9]

I like Japan. On the trains, they silence their phones and talk in whispers. It should be a universal law

A commuter railway near my place of residence has double-decker cars. The upper deck of each car is a voluntary-but-socially-enforced no-conversation, no-music, no-telephone-call zone. Quiet clicks of laptop computer keyboards are acceptable. The system works well. Folks who feel the urge to chat are free, and expected, to move downstairs.

 

[howardd5]

“I get irritated when I am constantly listening to the tap, tap, tap of others' poles, or to incessant chatter, or even worse.....music.”

Saw this quote in another thread. I did a search but couldn’t find anything about solutions. Can anyone recommend earplugs—wax or foam—or maybe noise cancelling headphones that would help maintain a pilgrim’s desire for quitetude? I have often thought about this serious pole tapping problem and other attacks on peaceful solitude. It’s not just the tapping which is actually a gateway to more serious matters, like the dreaded sometimes audible laughing in albergues.

Some of the old extending walking sticks had a spring in the tip to take up the shock while walking . These springs caused a “whappa whappa “ that was indeed a real a irritant, I avoided those people like a stink and don’t hear it any more

 

[Pathfinder075]

Is it bad to say the main irritant I find is the petty crime. Beggars, pickpockets, scammers. All highly annoying.

The tap of poles is something you get used to. Snoring in albergues happens, you get used to it, or use ear plugs. All the other minor things are the same and not really a problem.

 

[Lindsay from Scotland]

I am minded of an hiaku

“On top of the mountain
seeking solitude
many people “

 

[chinagal]

“Along our walk we once again successfully engaged in the social Camino that the Francés is.”
Quote in another thread.

Reasons peregrinos sleep in tents include: walking with an animal, claustrophobic, find Albergues stressful, or just wanted a good night sleep.

Irritants? Benches covered with day packs guarded by touragrinos standing, chatting about pedometer readings, leaving no place to rest ... blistered feet, arthritic knees, ... etc.

Can i add??
Tissues and toilet paper every few meters in some places..........

 

[trecile]

Too many pilgrims, even with ears uncovered, somehow could not hear me holler "bicycle!" four meters behind them. I'd have to creep past them at walking speed and hope they don't jump the wrong way when they see me

Can I suggest that when passing walkers on the Camino you should always slow to a walking speed. (Obviously a fast walking speed so you can get past them)

 

[lucygray]

Annoyances...
Nothing is innately annoying.
The sound is just sound. Your mind is creating the annoyance, @Bob Howard. So deal with the annoyance by working with the aversion to it. Much easier than trying to muffle a noisy world.

I’ve heard this ideology before but struggle with how to put it into practice, any ideas you can impart please? Thanks

 

[Bend]

Rubber tips for walking poles are very effective at reducing the tapping. There are tips designed for harder wear on paved surfaces such as those found on many of the paths on the various caminos, and they almost completely eliminate the noise.

Having said that, even when walking in Semana Santa, from Sarria, it was usually possible to speed up or slow down to create some distance between the noisy groups if I felt I needed some quiet time.

Another solution would be to walk at a quieter time of year, or on a less frequented path. If you’re truly irritated by the effects of being exposed to the noise of fellow walkers, then there are plenty of other paths to walk around the world, including in Spain, many of which are very beautiful and quiet. At least for me, part of what makes the camino the camino, is those irritating people. Why else fly all the way around the world? There are plenty of beautiful, quiet paths to walk right here in New Zealand. But they’re not the camino….

Hi Nic, nothing to do with irritants - love the photo of the archway by your name - where is it? Helen

 

[VNwalking]

I’ve heard this ideology before but struggle with how to put it into practice, any ideas you can impart please? Thanks

Short on time at the moment, but I'll send you a message later.

 

[WGroleau]

Now as for irritants, what about … or everyone's favourite - cyclists !!

Seems to be an irritant for many in this forum, yet as both cyclist and walker for thousands of kilometers each, I never experienced even once the cyclist complaints that keep popping up here.

 

[WGroleau]

Can I suggest that when passing walkers on the Camino you should always slow to a walking speed. (Obviously a fast walking speed so you can get past them)

I probably didn't word it well. I do pass very slowly for all, but I can go slightly faster for the minority not suffering from invisible earplugs.

Lord,
grant me patience for those I cannot change,
courage to change the one I can,
and wisdom to know that's me.

 

[walkingstu]

The socks on my leki poles are everlasting.
How that helps, no idea!
Irritants, though, that was the opening idea. To be brutally honest, I am my own irritant. If I let you irritate me, I need my head examined.
Let the floodgates open...

Wisdom, well said!