Poll Do you listen to anything while walking?

[Feetzgerald]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

 

[David]

Good for you - I think it is crazy to disappear into ear buds when surrounded by a brand new universe manifesting.

 

[Turga]

No! The sounds of the surroundings are as important as the views and the scents.

 

[J Willhaus]

I listen to the birds, wind, and other sounds of the camino, but then again I very rarely listen to music or podcasts or books at home. While walking you will likely find that you will have time to "think" and that may be enough. It is also a little dangerous to listen to music, books, etc. in some places on the Camino due to hazards and traffic. If you make a wrong turn, you won't hear other pilgrims or locals calling to you to set you on the right path. I hope this choice will work well for you.

 

[naplesdon]

The wind through the wheat and rye, the cows, sheep and goats talking to each other and the click, click of pilgs who don't have rubber tips on their poles. My favorite tune is the ringing of bells at churches all along the Way, one for quarter past, 2 for half past, 3 for quarter before the hour and then the number of bells for the hour. I have to admit it can get curious shortly past noon.

 

[Nick Barlow]

I normally listen to podcasts or music when I'm out walking and know the route I'm on as it's a good way for me to learn some things while I'm getting exercise. Where I live is pretty flat, so I'm not doing much in the way of tricky walking, and it helps cut out the sound of nearby roads etc

But, when I'm somewhere new that I don't know, or just somewhere tricky/hilly, I don't have them in and pay more attention to what's around me. I'm going to take some earbuds on the Camino with me, but planning to leave them in the rucksack and just use them for if I need to relax after walking.

 

[roving_rufus]

Mostly I walk without listening to music on pilgrim walks and walking in general- partly for safety and partly I like the ambient background sounds shaping what i am seeing. However, I know I have a few exceptions - like walking on the Via Francigena route in France - after a few hours of walking along canals with trees both sides constraining the views I will admit I put on some music, I think because I was feeling closed in and the music helped. Once or twice walking in and out of cities, or long stretches close to noisy motorways, I will admit to being tempted to putting music on as motivation but you need to be aware of your surroundings a bit more in busy cities so its definitely a balancing act (sometimes literally with one headphone in and the other ear empty). But listening to music probable happens in about 1% of my walking time

 

[trecile]

There's no right or wrong way. Some people like to listen to some upbeat music when they find their feet don't want to keep on moving.
Just keep your music/podcast/audiobook to yourself via earbuds - don't blast music on a boom box!

 

[Phoenix]

Sometimes. Primarily whenever I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone; similar to using buds/pods/headphones on a plane to ward off conversations with strangers.

In either situation, it gets the message across more politely than saying, "Look, bro (or ma'am), I don't want to talk to you right now."

Also, over the course of 5-6 weeks, I have more than ample opportunity to hear nature/urban sounds along the way.

 

[VNwalking]

For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

A beautiful intention!
We are so addicted to stimulation, and walking the camino is a way of learning to just be without distraction - even if it's boring at first. Oh well. Boredom is just a withdrawal symptom when we're learning to pay attention to quieter things instead. The contentment and peace that happens when we get the hang of it is priceless.

 

[Rick M]

Somebody has to speak up here. That guy who breezed past you on the trail with a mumbled buen camino, earbuds in, unresponsive, well that was me. A defiant and unrepentant me.

I'm a lifelong music addict with a wide range of taste. I nearly always have the earbuds in when I am walking. This is time for contemplation, reflection, and purity of thought. Far from being a distraction, music is the perfect catalyst for finding that zen state that I prefer to walk in. The distractions are the cars, the birds, and the chatter of my fellow pilgrims. I'll be happy to chatter with you when we are eating lunch, having a coffee, or admiring the architecture in a town. On the trail is my time. I want to be alone with my thoughts, and that calls for a soundtrack. Podcast? perish the thought. This is time to play B sides, and really have the music take you where the composer intended.

 

[tomnorth]

I walk without earbuds and the like. I feel more connected to my surroundings when I can hear what's going on around me. I don't begrudge others their earbuds, but they're not for me when walking or biking. What does irritate the heck out of me though are the people that blast their music from portable speakers.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Honestly I feel it's a bit dangerous to have earphones in your ears while walking.
Bicycles, especially, can be dangerous. Some don't ring the bell and come up behind you on the foot paths like race cars! Pilgrims are hurt every year by cyclists. Pilgrims are also hit by cars. You really need to pay attention, imo.

Keep the earphones out of your ears.
Listen to the wind, the birds, the water.
That's my advice.

 

[Phoenix]

Somebody has to speak up here. That guy who breezed past you on the trail with a mumbled buen camino, earbuds in, unresponsive, well that was me. A defiant and unrepentant me.

 

[Bala]

I never listen to music walking the Camino, I never listen to music walking at home. When I listen to music in my home, that's what I'm doing -- listening to music. Sitting in front of the speakers, giving it my full attention, never as background or space filler. Music demands my attention, same as the Camino.

 

[J Willhaus]

There's also a possible age divide here. When I was younger you could only listen to music through a speaker on a radio, a turntable, or later some kind of tape (8 track, reel to reel, cassette) and music wasn't very portable. Later with the advent of the "Walkman" you could listen through a headset that was bulky although we thought it was portable! Music playing has become more compact and portable and podcasts are actually a thing, but they did not exist when I was younger. And in the military it was forbidden to listen to music on earbuds or headphones while running or exercising on post (several people were killed attributed to the distraction of not having all senses available). I enjoy reading books, but don't enjoy listening to them. I don't want to watch a YouTube video about cooking a recipe as I can read the steps faster on paper, etc. My brain has is wired that way now just as younger people may have brains wired more towards multimedia that they have been exposed to.

Like @Rick M, I think we all have our preferences for learning or enjoyment. I do like music, but usually only when I am going dancing or cleaning the house or singing at the top of my lungs in the car on a road trip and I want to hear my music blaring through a speaker. When on the Camino, thank you for wearing your headphones/earbuds. I'm sure others of you have encountered the large school groups of kids singing while their leaders shout the words through a megaphone (around Palais de Rey).

 

[mspath]

I never purposely listened to anything but always hoped to sense the freedom to simply be.

 

[Feetzgerald]

There's also a possible age divide here. When I was younger you could only listen to music through a speaker on a radio, a turntable, or later some kind of tape (8 track, reel to reel, cassette) and music wasn't very portable. Later with the advent of the "Walkman" you could listen through a headset that was bulky although we thought it was portable! Music playing has become more compact and portable and podcasts are actually a thing, but they did not exist when I was younger. And in the military it was forbidden to listen to music on earbuds or headphones while running or exercising on post (several people were killed attributed to the distraction of not having all senses available). I enjoy reading books, but don't enjoy listening to them. I don't want to watch a YouTube video about cooking a recipe as I can read the steps faster on paper, etc. My brain has is wired that way now just as younger people may have brains wired more towards multimedia that they have been exposed to.

I think you make a very good point here. Even when I was younger, you had to purchase CDs or cassette tapes, and if you wanted to listen to it out and about, you had to buy a portable CD/cassette player which were often bulky and required batteries. Fast forward to today, and you simply download an app on your phone, pay a monthly fee, and you have virtually every song ever created at your finger tips. If you missed a an episode of your favourite TV show, tough luck - maybe catch a repeat in a few weeks/months and in the meantime read a book . Now it's all on demand and you don't even have to click a button to watch the next episode.

Everything is easy and we have so much choice that it's overwhelming. For me, this is what unplugging is all about, and why I'm doing the Camino. Day to day, I won't have many choices - I'll walk, find a place to sleep, wash my clothes, eat and talk with other people.

If I happen to pass by a street musician with a guitar, I can stop and appreciate the sound even more because it may be the first music I've heard in days.

 

[Tincatinker]

I advise all pilgrims to use earbuds or even full on headphones and to play their music LOUD. However this is only absolutely necessary if their Camino is coincident with mine.
I love to SING while I’m walking. Traditional Folk, music hall ditties, re-writes of Regimental songs.
Fair warning has been given. Lovers of music are advised to avoid Andalusia in May

 

[Jamieb]

I did both - I had many moments of walking in silence and also moments of where I needed the podcast/music to keep me going.

 

[Eve Alexandra]

I'm a lifelong music addict…Podcast? perish the thought. This is time to play B sides…

I went without music the first time. Nope nope nope. Not doing it again. Yes, there are times to listen to birds and give nature your attention. But it’s a very long walk. I’m also a music addict (rather obsessed with collecting vinyl, too) and when it feels right, I’ll be using one of my earbuds (not safe for females alone to use 2, sadly).

If it’s true there’s no one right way to do a Camino or to be a pilgrim, and I think it’s true, well that includes

 

[MarisS]

I' m just like that! No earplugs for my, I sing a lot myself when I'm walking! Outloud, that makes me walk on. All kinds of songs, as long as I know the lyrics. So if someone meets me on del Northe and Primitivo this may, please sing along!

 

[Eve Alexandra]

I' m just like that! No earplugs for my, I sing a lot myself when I'm walking! Outloud, that makes me walk on. All kinds of songs, as long as I know the lyrics. So if someone meets me on del Northe and Primitivo this may, please sing along!

Walking in a rhythm with poles…it’s easy to get the weirdest songs stuck in your head if you’re also a “sing out loud” person, which I am.

In ‘17 it was as varied as
“How do you solve a problem like Maria” (sound of music )
“call me maybe” (Jepsen)
Tricky (Run DMC)
Freddie my Love (grease soundtrack)

And I don’t even like one of these songs! Lol

Consider yourself warned. Sometimes earworms happen on long walks.

 

[Helen1]

Totally understand wanting to be present in the moment but there are a few stages where I found it a relief to have a bit of distraction - the bit on the CP where you walk endless miles along railway line, esp the bit next to the sewage works for example .

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I love silence on the trail. the music I hear in the evening is all the more rich for it.

 

[SLO Pilgrim]

Somebody has to speak up here. That guy who breezed past you on the trail with a mumbled buen camino, earbuds in, unresponsive, well that was me. A defiant and unrepentant me.

I'm a lifelong music addict with a wide range of taste. I nearly always have the earbuds in when I am walking. This is time for contemplation, reflection, and purity of thought. Far from being a distraction, music is the perfect catalyst for finding that zen state that I prefer to walk in. The distractions are the cars, the birds, and the chatter of my fellow pilgrims. I'll be happy to chatter with you when we are eating lunch, having a coffee, or admiring the architecture in a town. On the trail is my time. I want to be alone with my thoughts, and that calls for a soundtrack. Podcast? perish the thought. This is time to play B sides, and really have the music take you where the composer intended.

View attachment IMG_2747.MOV

 

[SLO Pilgrim]

I don’t remember what why or where, i only remember listening to the music, feeling very happy and posting this video of my happy feet. Still makes me smile

 

[dougfitz]

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation.

Are you planning to use earplugs to block out the sounds of the environment?

Like others, I find that stimulating in its own right. I do carry noise cancelling earphones or earbuds for the flights to Europe, and might listen to my own music in the evening, but not while I am walking.

 

[dbier]

Go your own way...but if you do plug in, please use just one earbud, so that you can hear the world around you. Please. I walk half marathons as well, and there is nothing more irritating and dangerous than someone on a single-track who can't hear someone else coming up from behind.

 

[Feetzgerald]

Are you planning to use earplugs to block out the sounds of the environment?

Like others, I find that stimulating in its own right. I do carry noise cancelling earphones or earbuds for the flights to Europe, and might listen to my own music in the evening, but not while I am walking.

I meant specifically artificial stimulation, i.e. that from an electronic device/headphones.

 

[Former member 91017]

I rarely listen to music... I just forget to, can't decide what to... get stressed out about what to load onto the phone... I like the idea of podcasts but get all indecisive about them when it comes time to choose what I want to listen to.

I *do* listen to books when I am hiking at home.
I also listen to professional association lectures and the like.
And I listen to PDF articles and chapters of things I've already read as I walk to and from work so that I have fresh ideas in my head to make those things a little more exciting and of the moment for my students.

The pattern here is that I leave that stuff at home when I walk a camino because it's *work*, I want to vacate myself; I want to be wherever it is I am ambling. *For me* that means being ready to hear the birds and the water, and the trucks that honk their encouragement, and the wolf on the other side of the valley, the guns shooting on the hunt, the dogs baying on the hunt... the bells that announce matins and vespers in some of the wee villages, even if nobody is going into the chapels... the sound of the cow-bells donk-kadonking across meadows... the sound of crunching boots, and the ticking of other people’s poles (Yes. I know. I'm weird. I've been informed). I love all of it.

Dear Spouse? I know he listened to music in his headphones on the solo 3 weeks of his first camino. I figure he will listen to music on his next camino... as others have observed: for some the music gives them energy when the road seems relentless. If there's a music circle full of people he will be there. That's his path.

Same family, same household, same basic age... different modes on camino.

The only thing that makes me a little annoyed (and I solve it by putting in noise-cancelling ear-buds) is the doppler distortion of a music player in a pocket with the musical tastes of one pilgrim being imposed on everyone else within 200m radius.

 

[dougfitz]

I meant specifically artificial stimulation, i.e. that from an electronic device/headphones.

Aah, I understand now. I did think you might have been considering of some new form of hermit-ism!

 

[RJM]

No way. Never even crossed my mind to do so. Have never done it at home either, on runs, walks and hikes. Not that I don't like music or podcasts. I listen to them all the time at home and have a couple of sets of earbuds and noise cancelling headphones. I just can't fathom trekking across Europe cocooned aurally. Not to mention the safety aspect of it. There are bicycles and automobiles sharing the Camino with me. I want to hear them as well as see them. Also I don't need motivation from a podcast or song, lol.
Oh, and the pilgrims that play music out loud? Yeah, that's just plain rude and obnoxious.

 

[Former member 99290]

Like most of those who've replied, I don't listen to music (other than the natural 'music' of the environment) when walking. But I do bring along my earbuds. There have been many nights when I couldn't sleep due to the 'music' of the dormitory! So, I'd put my earbuds in and listen quietly to a meditation tape in the hope of falling asleep. And if that didn't work at least I enjoyed the meditations.

 

[CameraHiker]

I'm totally going to listen to The Alchemist at Least once.

When I'm on the Pont Neuf in Paris I just have to listen to Extreme Ways, usually more than once...

 

[C clearly]

I have recently become a huge fan of listening to audiobooks and podcasts on my bone conduction headphones that do not go into the ear canal and therefore do not block ambient sound.

I will occasionally listen to music on the Camino, and find it very inspirational on those occasions (if I didn't, I would turn it off). I do not consider that I am depriving myself of appropriate time for extended introspection, meditation, birdsong, footsteps, mooing and blankness. Walking alone for most of a month provides plenty of time to do it all.

However, I will only take cheap ear-buds on the Camino and will only use them in safe circumstances. I don't expect to listen to any podcasts or audiobook, though, because I find that I have less interested in those other topics than in the adventure that I am living at that time.

I was resisting voting in the poll because I disliked the all-or-nothing nature of it - with no category for "occasional" as opposed to the implied "habitual." However now, I will need to vote for one of the underdogs.

 

[Viva Terlingua]

Why is it an either or question? Why not a little of both. When I hike, I normally take in my surroundings on the ascent, on the way back down I normally listen to music. If I'm walking for exercise on a boring street or road, I'll listen to an audiobook. Yes, I'd rather read than listen, but reading while walking is not an option. Why not walk sometimes digesting everything around you and sometimes listening to your music? One thing that has been a Godsend for me is my Bose Frame Tempo glasses. They allow me to listen to music or an audiobook and still be in touch with my surroundings.

 

[C clearly]

Why is it an either or question? Why not a little of both.

Exactly! Why do we need to polarize our positions? That's what I was suggesting in my post, which crossed with yours in the ether.

 

[Paul Wilson]

I listen to my music for short periods normally around busier or built up areas but I don’t use ear buds I use bone conductor headphones, these sit outside your ears and allow you to hear the ambient sounds around you like traffic, bicycles etc I especially find this useful around industrial areas

I must admit though I will in future be listening out for some of our crooners I think hearing someone belt out a song badly without care is a joyous sound to behold and I’m guilty of it myself sometimes

 

[David with new Kit!]

I listen to my wife!!

No, seriously, normally if loud music is following me, it usually passes quickly as the person with the noise, is most probably younger than me and walking faster.

On the rare occasion the pace coincides with mine, I remind my self of all the conflicts going on in the world, where other people would gladly swap their issues for mine.

It serves to remind me that if my only problem is other peoples music on the camino, then its a very small problem.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

I never listen to anything when walking. Music or audiobooks (or podcasts and the like) take me into their own world and hence disconnect me from where I am walking. I want to feel, see, smell and hear ... feel the world with all senses. If I need a distraction from my walk, then the walk is maybe not worth walking.
But then again it is easy for me. I can drive a car for many hours without switching anything on. Same riding on a train or bus. ;-)

 

[VNwalking]

But it’s a very long walk

I'm walking for exercise on a boring street or road, I'll listen

External things are not intrinsically boring. It's a subjective experience that comes from lack of connection. Distracting ourselves only amps up the tendency to fall into boredom - it's a positive feedback loop.
And Pascal was onto something.

Boredom is not all bad, even if it's unpleasant.
It's just a matter of learning to cope with it constructively, rather than increasing habits of disengagement.

 

[David Tallan]

There is no "sometimes" option. On Camino, I generally don't listen to anything but the world around me. But I wouldn't be so absolute as to say "never". I have discovered that when I am really exhausted and/or in pain, the right choice of music can be a real pick me up and provide a second wind. So I won't rule out using it for that purpose. When I am in training to walk a Camino, at home, I tend to listen to podcasts (usually Camino-related podcasts) while walking, unless I am walking with others. What with the winter conditions here, I find I am taking fewer long walks, and I'm really falling behind in my podcasts. Yes, the podcasts are somewhat distracting from the world around me, but I don't think they are much more distracting than chatting with a companion while walking.

 

[pasiño a pasiño]

definitely! I am listening to my body and what the nature provides.

 

[Roland49]

Take the chance to make a little bit of media-detoxing.
We are surrounded by annoying and alarming sounds almost every minute of our lives.

So why not to take the natural sounds (besides the traffic while walking by a road) for your "music", your brain will thank you for not only be used for filtering the unnecessary massive information flooding our ears.
You will be surprized how calm you may become.

Enjoy your walk!

 

[Stivandrer]

I am constantly attacked by music from within when walking, bits and bobs and from all genres:
Händels Water Music, selected Kyrie Eleisons, hits from the sixties, - and of course Thank U by Alanis Morisette.
I think the rythm of boots and sticks get into the system, and sets the playlist alight !
- and no use of earphone music...

 

[VeronicaF1]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

I walked listening to the world around me however I had music at night ( as good as ear plugs) and I loved having my phone to take photos and message home to family.

 

[philleethomas]

No, I sang, along with my new Camino friends, filling the days with joy and laughter:

 

[Feetzgerald]

External things are not intrinsically boring. It's a subjective experience that comes from lack of connection. Distracting ourselves only amps up the tendency to fall into boredom - it's a positive feedback loop.
And Pascal was onto something.

Boredom is not all bad, even if it's unpleasant.
It's just a matter of learning to cope with it constructively, rather than increasing habits of disengagement.

I'm going on my Camino hoping that I will feel bored and learn to become tolerant of it.

 

[DonnaM]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

You won't miss them!

 

[Bob91]

I brought earphones (the cheap ones from Apple with the wire) but never used them. I preferred to walk with my thoughts. However, it never bothered me to see someone walking with earphones or earpods or whatever. It's their Camino, too. While walking alone I had some great conversations with myself! But while walking and conditioning in my neighborhood at home, I almost always listened to audio books, especially several audio books by pilgrims describing their caminos, some more than once. I thought I would continue listening to audio books on the Camino Frances, but I never did. It wasn't so much the sound of nature as it was the wonderment of being there, fulfilling a dream. Watching the far off mountains slowly get closer, watching my feet strike the ground over and over again, and watching the scenery slowly pass (and I do mean slowly!), proved to be all that I needed. However, I only walked the Camino once so far. I can't speak on how it would be next time. And there will absolutely be a next time, I just don't know when yet. I will bring my earphones again, just in case.
Buen Camino to everyone!

 

[Harlan Sager]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

Good for you! Spend your time conversing with an getting to know your fellow pilgrims as you walk and reflect on the beauty of the experience.

 

[Luther]

I admit to listening to music and podcasts while on Camino, usually in the afternoons. Mornings I listened to nature. I've always walked with a quicker step while listening to music, and have a playlist with my favorite walking and Camino music. I also listen to my two favorite Camino podcasts, Dave Whitson's Camino Podcast and Dan Mullins My Camino- the podcast. If/when I get to return, I'll consider going without.

 

[Tommy Brown]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

I've walked a few caminos and never listened to anything but birds singing and groups of very noisy pilgrims who drive me crazy but then i just stop and let the world go by.bon Camino

 

[MikeJS]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

I listen to nature and all its sounds.

 

[tomas2019]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

When I trained for the Camino, I had 200+ songs (11 hours) on my playlist and listened incessantly. However, when I began my ascent of the Pyrenees, I felt that the music blocked out nature's symphony.
I never played a song while walking, but we did exchange musical tastes/preferences (from each other's playlist) while consuming wines/beers at bars and albergues !!!!!! It was great fun.

Enjoy the orchestration that the mountains, the road, and the birds provide. They are more beautiful and much more profound than anything you can cram into your iPhone.

Ultreia -

tomas

 

[truthseeker]

I listened to the ambient sounds: birds, cows, wind. Sometimes I sang or hummed to myself. I do the same when walking near my home or hiking in the woods. A few times on the Way, I sang with other pilgrims. Once I listened and sang along with music, using earbuds. But that was while walking along a very stressful part of the path which ran next to a highway with big trucks thundering past.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

I have always been a Nature Girl so, listening to what the Mother wants me to hear is important, especially when it is in the Spring or Harvest time and there is a lot of Farm machinery on the move. But listening to water, wind and everything else is more interesting... to me.

 

[JCarpenter]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

I completely unplugged for my first Camino, not hard for me. But I also asked my teen daughter to unplug. This was initially and anxiety producing event, but absolutely beneficial. She agrees. The only thing she missed was a convenient camera. She lugged her Canon the entire way, and had beautiful pictures, but it was a nuisance for a while until she became accustomed to it. But that's it, isn't it? We can become accustomed to most anything, healthy (or unhealthy.) Aren't you curious to learn what thoughts and feelings will enter your mind and heart if you ditch the sound? I say go for it if you're tempted.

 

[wynrich]

At home, when walking around my neighborhood, I listen to Spanish Lessons! (So, I'm also talking as part of the lesson and I wonder if people think I'm talking to myself.) On the Camino, I think I've only listened to music one time. It was on a straight stretch that Brierly called a "soulless senda". (Paved trail next to a highway.) And, I got such a thrill when this song came up in my shuffle. One repeated line: "Hay tantos caminos por andar". There are so many caminos to walk.

 

[Marbe2]

A

Honestly I feel it's a bit dangerous to have earphones in your ears while walking.
Bicycles, especially, can be dangerous. Some don't ring the bell and come up behind you on the foot paths like race cars! Pilgrims are hurt every year by cyclists. Pilgrims are also hit by cars. You really need to pay attention, imo.

Keep the earphones out of your ears.
Listen to the wind, the birds, the water.
That's my advice.

AMEN! If you walk on the CF in May, there will likely be lots of pilgrims. Although many cyclists are courteous and do slow down when approaching and warn of their approach, some cyclists still think they are racing against each other on The Tour de France! If you are wearing ears pods when these Yahoos are approaching you could place yourself in a dangerous situation. My advice to you, if you need music sing in your head ( it helps my rhythm) and keep your auditory processes alert for those maniacs. If you really need the music, think about walking off prime time when there will be less traffic. Remember it only takes one jerk to get injured!

 

[maruska89]

Like most of those who've replied, I don't listen to music (other than the natural 'music' of the environment) when walking. But I do bring along my earbuds. There have been many nights when I couldn't sleep due to the 'music' of the dormitory! So, I'd put my earbuds in and listen quietly to a meditation tape in the hope of falling asleep. And if that didn't work at least I enjoyed the meditations.

I did the same when trying to drown out heavy snoring as I found the earplugs didn't work well for some instances.

 

[mgnswaus]

Normally, I get lost, though hopefully not literally, in the beauty and energy of the here and now. BUT, there's always a but, when there is still 5 km to go and I'm out of energy, or it's pouring with rain, then there's nothing like a good beat, particularly anything Pet Shop Boys, to lift the pace, raise the spirits and guarantee that I arrive dancing, smiling and yes, Tincatinker, singing, declaring, 'That was a great day!' Though probably frowned on by the purists, it works for me every time.

 

[Berenguer]

I'll take a bone-conducting headset and a smart phone, and may listen as I walk or may not. Spanish lessons sound good.

 

[Janade]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

I personally walk unplugged - it’s safer for a woman alone who has to be aware of her surroundings, plus it allows me to get into my head in a good way. I’ve worked out many issues and trauma while walking, thinking and admiring my surroundings.

If others want to listen to electronics with their headphones, I don’t typically care. But I have a HUGE problem with people who walk/hike while listening to music, etc without headphones. I even saw a guy once who was carrying a boom box on his shoulder, blasting music in the mountains on the hiking trail. If I ever go to prison, it will be for slapping one of these inconsiderate a-holes up the side of their head and then destroying the offending audio device.

 

[Walton]

I listen to my right ear hearing aid.

Left ear doesn't work at all, so I use that to listen for fast riding bikers, and sometimes to my dear wife.

At night, I remove my hearing aid and sleep really well. Funnily enough, next morning, I wear my hearing aid to listen to hilarious complaints about snorers and plastic bags. Weird huh?

Buen Camino!

 

[Kathy F.]

Like many here, I do not use my earbuds when walking the Camino. I do when I walk around here for "training" walks.
However, I am so used to listening to something while I walk, from said training, that I have to "train" myself to NOT listen to anything when I walk. I usually start that training a week or two before my start date.
LOL, if it isn't one thing, it's another.

 

[krosemc]

Yes! I was very deeply chastised by a friend for listening to my earbuds during my last camino. I'm a pretty slow walker, and both of my camino's to date I've walked in off seasons. Spent 6-8 hours walking a day, and most days walking totally alone. And, most everybody walks a faster pace @ 3-6 weeks at a time.

The morning and lunchtime were my favorite times for listening to the sounds of nature. What I really found helpful though, and I'm really not sure if it's a bad thing or a good thing... when I had really bad aches and pains that couldn't be ignored, or if I was feeling totally exhausted and weary with the distance ahead of me or with the weather, music could absolutely pick me up and help carry me along the way... I was thinking about this in relation to chronic pain recently, actually. But, if you're there to be present, and I was too, to live with whatever comes at each moment with peace and joy, idk ... it could be a distraction, but so could a lot of chatter, however both could also enrich your experience. We're human and sometimes we need music, people & connection, and solitude.

I'd bring some favorite tunes along, but that's just me Buen Camino!

 

[Albertagirl]

I was thinking as I read this thread that I never listen to music while walking. Then I realized that there is one exception. When I walk in the mountains, if there is any sign or sound of a bear, I need to make noise continually to scare them off and insure my safety. Generally I recite long poems, and when they are done (three regulars), I start again. But occasionally my mind and the rhythm of walking will cause me to move on, singing as I go. This never fails with the bears.

 

[jflorez]

Would that I could so proudly say I would never do this, or that. But, alas, I am only human, and there were times where along the Camino Frances, specifically after Villar de Mazarife, and while on my way to Villavante, on day 23, in the late September afternoon sun, no shade to be found, with no one behind me, and no one ahead on foot or even in cars, where unplowed corn fields as far as the eye could see hemmed me in from the left and right on a stretch of road as straight as an arrow, with nary a bird in flight or any other animal to appreciate in sight, did I eventually pull out my headphones to help motivate me to continue on, step by step, the last 5 kilometers on a 31 kilometer day. And motivate me it did; and I regret nothing.

 

[trecile]

Yes! I was very deeply chastised by a friend for listening to my earbuds during my last camino.

I'm sorry that your friend would do that to you.

I'm also sorry that anyone feels judged for the choices that they make that don't affect anyone else. It makes me sad that those on this thread that like to listen to music/podcasts/audiobooks as they walk are using words like I admit - as if they were guilty of something horrible.

 

[Former member 91017]

I'm sorry that your friend would do that to you.

I'm also sorry that anyone feels judged for the choices that they make that don't affect anyone else. It makes me sad that those on this thread that like to listen to music/podcasts/audiobooks as they walk are using words like I admit - as if they were guilty of something horrible.

Thank you SO MUCH for this. I was struggling to articulate it.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have brought earbuds for music on all of my Caminos "just in case", but end up never using them. To each their own enjoyment, whether contemplative silence with delightful sounds of nature in the background, or listening privately to one's favorite music...either are good to the ears of the listener.

 

[tpmchugh]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

I listen to my soul and the sounds of the trail but mostly I listen to the greetings from the locals and fellow pilgrims. Buen Camino peregrino

 

[Former member 99290]

I'm sorry that your friend would do that to you.

I'm also sorry that anyone feels judged for the choices that they make that don't affect anyone else. It makes me sad that those on this thread that like to listen to music/podcasts/audiobooks as they walk are using words like I admit - as if they were guilty of something horrible.

I agree. Just because I don't choose to listen to music etc when I walk - or should I say, I haven't so far - I don't see anything wrong with doing so. Of course there isn't. In fact, after reading some of the replies on the thread, maybe I'll give it a go on my next Camino!

 

[krosemc]

Thank you SO MUCH for this. I was struggling to articulate it.

I'm sorry that your friend would do that to you.

I'm also sorry that anyone feels judged for the choices that they make that don't affect anyone else. It makes me sad that those on this thread that like to listen to music/podcasts/audiobooks as they walk are using words like I admit - as if they were guilty of something horrible.

You know what? Looking at my own reply I see how unassertive and sort of apologetic I was! Silly, because everyone does judge and there's no need to feel apologetic for music, poetry, or anything of the sort. I took the criticism and suggestion with love and consideration. However, at the end of the day, or the beginning of that mountain/hill, music might've been my best friend! And, I love that for someone it was reciting poetry! It could've been a podcast, or book. Doesn't matter. The arts have a way of also uniting us with the divine...whatever that may be to you!

 

[jbreuner]

Mother Nature provides all the auditory stimulation I'll need, and that suits me just fine.

 

[Tony Bobcat]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

Q

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

Hello Feetzgerald. Walked my first Camino back in 2017, used my headphone for only half an hour causing me to veer off the path in the wrong direction. Never used them again, best thing ever . Now I could hear the owls and swallows.

 

[davebugg]

Listen for bicyclists. . . it could keep you healthy.

 

[Kanga]

Rarely worn during the day when walking but I'm another who has found them invaluable when having trouble getting to sleep at night. Sometimes to distract from the sound in the dormitory, but sometimes just to unwind. Some gentle classical music or a good meditation tape.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Listen for bicyclists. . . it could keep you healthy.

Even without using earbuds I don't always hear them coming; mostly local energenic young men having some weekend fun and I've almost been knocked down a couple of times.

 

[HaveringRob]

In my regular life, I listen to podcasts, even when I just go to the store -- it is like a celebration of having the time to listen. I listen to music when I work. When I went on the Camino, I downloaded some podcasts, playlists, and audio books. I never even thought of listening to them -- the external silence was refreshing and exactly what I needed. Just the surrounding sounds and the sound of my feet crunching and my poles tapping. When I go the next time, I might download some material, just in case I feel the urge. But I won't feel guilty if I do.

 

[Walton]

Listen for bicyclists. . . it could keep you healthy.

Very good advice Dave. This is a bit off topic, so mods feel free to delete.

My deafness wreckage tally after almost 70 years are;

Several bicyclists ( No Camino bicyclists thus far)

Two electric motorcyclists in Shanghai.

One of who ran a red light on my deaf side and was going the wrong way on the road anyway. He glanced off my right leg, ending up spralled in the middle of the intersection. Unfortunately for him his vegetables and fruit were in a wire basket on the front and these rolled everywhere. Bits of plastic on the bike also came off. Me, I had a bloody graze on my lower leg. I didn't stick around though for lots of reasons. The hapless cyclist ran after me shouting in Chinese but other Chinese began shouting at him and a fight between him and them quickly ensued with me walking away faster than hiking pace in the distance.
The other was a woman who hit me from behind at at Carrefour in Shanghai. Again bits of plastic fell off and I just kept on walking.

The lesson is;

No-one can see deafness, so if you are a cyclist or on a motorcycle please don't assume the pedestrian in front or crossing the road can hear you. There are lots of deaf people around.

Oh yeah, I almost got hit by a train once too as a kid but luckily heard a nearby mate yell out a warning. Missed me by three inches I guess.

There are many reports of people on phones, having all kinds of inattention disasters, so yeah, wear your devices but pay extra attention to your surroundings at the same time.

 

[camino07]

Sometimes, when I’m alone I love singing and go through all the musicals I remember

 

[dick bird]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

There will be plenty of auditory stimulation, it just won't come through an electronic device you are carrying with you. In fact, what you describe as auditory stimulation is exactly the opposite: it is a kind of auditory anaesthesia against the world around you - a world which is making all kinds of noise and sound. What you might call earphones are actually earplugs and walking the camino with earphones makes as much sense as walking the camino blindfolded. I have only ever seen one pilgrim, out of hundreds if not thousands, listening as he walked; and he was crooning tunelessly at the top of his voice as he strode past without acknowledging our presence or the existence of anything except himself. I think you may have got my message by now - no sane person would walk the camino and listen to music. Please don't do it. Unless you are in a crowded albergue and trying to sleep.

 

[mai]

For me, on the camino the best music is from the nature, talk with pilgrims, and listening to messages from God.

 

[Marbe2]

Hello all,

I'm going to walk my first Camino in May and I plan to do it without any auditory stimulation. That means no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks etc. For me this is a big change from my every day life in which I always seem to need some kind of distraction. For me, the Camino is an opportunity to unplug and be in the present moment.

I'm curious about how other people walk or will walk their Camino. If you would like, please select an option from the poll.

If you've walked a Camino before, what was your experience? Did you also decide to "unplug" and if so, did you find it benefited you at all?

Buen camino!

I listen to my music for short periods normally around busier or built up areas but I don’t use ear buds I use bone conductor headphones, these sit outside your ears and allow you to hear the ambient sounds around you like traffic, bicycles etc I especially find this useful around industrial areas

I must admit though I will in future be listening out for some of our crooners I think hearing someone belt out a song badly without care is a joyous sound to behold and I’m guilty of it myself sometimes

There are two issues as I see it - preference and danger.
Regarding the issue of preference by all means it is not a polar issue. If someone prefers music to nature…that is their choice.

But choices also come with consequences.

In high season on the CF when there are lots of folks walking and I would hope that we could all agree that a person with earbuds could be putting themselves and riders in danger by blocking out the external auditory environment. It is not just a matter of their individual choice in my thinking.

I have often raised concerns (a consistent mantra of mine) about cyclists who don’t slow down and warn walkers. So too, we walkers, who share a trail, have a responsibility to listen for their warnings. It then encompasses more than just my preference. Being lost in one’s internal music puts us all at danger. We all need to take responsibility for our and one another’s safety. So to this point I see only one answer. Bring your earbuds, but do not use them in crowded conditions. The bikes and the rest of us need to get though safely as well!

 

[philmickm]

No.
If I listened to music or podcasts I would miss too much of where I was. There was always too much to see, too many people to say hello to, too much to experience that I might not see again. Any simple thing that caught my attention, it didn’t matter what, I wanted to see and feel it.
I maybe less experienced than you Feetzgerald but I wanted to immerse in the Camino.
I used to wonder when I saw people with headphones on, but each to their own, Goodonya Feetzgerald, you know yourself

 

[G_NYC]

Exactly! Why do we need to polarize our positions? That's what I was suggesting in my post, which crossed with yours in the ether.

I’m also a little taken aback with the suggestions that “we” are all distracted daily or chained to a screen. Some of us retired/semi-retired folks have a ton of quiet time for contemplation in our real lives, and the implication that we aren’t doing it correctly when we listen to music or audiobooks on the Camino is kind of offensive to me.

I walked the Portuguese Coastal route last fall and most days didn’t even see another pilgrim, so had almost no opportunity for conversation. I spent many hours working on learning a new language, and it didn’t distract me from seeing what was around me at all.

 

[Tingeling]

For mye first Camino (Frances), I thought I needed to fill the time with preplanned sound like podcasts, audiobooks...... and to use music when I was bored, tired or whatever. To my surprise, I didn't "need" it at all. Time passed in a pleasant way, thinking about something, everything and nothing and observing and listening to natural sounds. And traffic....to be om the safe side. On my last Camino in October 2021, I didn't bring ear plugs.

 

[KariC]

Good for you - I think it is crazy to disappear into ear buds when surrounded by a brand new universe manifesting.

David expressed it better than I could. I fully agree. I never listen to anything while hiking anywhere, to remain present and open to my surroundings and the experience of hiking.

 

[G_NYC]

I'm sorry that your friend would do that to you.

I'm also sorry that anyone feels judged for the choices that they make that don't affect anyone else. It makes me sad that those on this thread that like to listen to music/podcasts/audiobooks as they walk are using words like I admit - as if they were guilty of something horrible.

Thank you for saying this. Most days on my Camino there were no other pilgrims, and I had made a commitment to a language I had been learning daily for 16 months before the Camino. I managed to keep my 4x weekly online language lessons by stopping early on those days to find a cafe and wifi, and listening only to music and podcasts in that language. This was an important commitment for me, and accomplishing that and the Camino at the same time was incredibly satisfying.

Also, this implication that “we” all have the same sort of daily life where we can’t get away from stimulation or screens, or need to rely on the Camino to provide silence and time for contemplation, is just wrong.

 

[Lurch]

I advise all pilgrims to use earbuds or even full on headphones and to play their music LOUD. However this is only absolutely necessary if their Camino is coincident with mine.
I love to SING while I’m walking. Traditional Folk, music hall ditties, re-writes of Regimental songs.
Fair warning has been given. Lovers of music are advised to avoid Andalusia in May

Same here. If I need a tune, I go into my onboard memory (brain) and dredge up a tune. Martial music works for me, guess too many years in uniform. “Don’t need no stinking earbuds.”

 

[G_NYC]

Good for you - I think it is crazy to disappear into ear buds when surrounded by a brand new universe manifesting.

This is the sort of thing that usually makes me stop reading the forum for a while. It comes across as quite judgmental and doesn't account for the fact that we are all individuals with our own needs, and ignores “walk your own Camino”. I’m glad you found a way to experience the Camino that works for you, and luckily I don‘t care if anyone sees me as “crazy” for walking with music or podcasts on a route where most days I didn’t even see another pilgrim and very few locals, except in the villages.

 

[Mettchen]

I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do it. Each to their own

For my first camino I only put my headphones on a few times when the route was next to a road for a while to avoid listening to the cars.
For my 2nd one I dont remember there being much road / traffic and honestly don't remember what I did.

For other trails and any future caminos I'm sure I'll do a combination. Some hours listening to nature and the rhythm of my steps - but possibly also an audiobook or podcast towards the end of the day

 

[Rebekah Scott]

This is the sort of thing that usually makes me stop reading the forum for a while. It comes across as quite judgmental and doesn't account for the fact that we are all individuals with our own needs, and ignores “walk your own Camino”. I’m glad you found a way to experience the Camino that works for you, and luckily I don‘t care if anyone sees me as “crazy” for walking with music or podcasts on a route where most days I didn’t even see another pilgrim and very few locals, except in the villages.

It's a forum. Lots of people will support your opinion, some will challenge it. Everyone gets to express himself, whether they meet your expectations or not. Long as we're all respectful, it keeps rolling on, throughout all these years.

 

[G_NYC]

It's a forum. Lots of people will support your opinion, some will challenge it. Everyone gets to express himself, whether they meet your expectations or not. Long as we're all respectful, it keeps rolling on, throughout all these years.

I guess we can agree to disagree that calling others “crazy” for doing things their own way is judgmental or unkind.

 

[davebugg]

I guess we can agree to disagree that calling others “crazy” for doing things their own way is judgmental or unkind.

<sigh> David did not call anyone 'crazy'; he used a common euphemism to state how he felt about the issue. He made no reference to any specific individual, not did he demand others stop blocking out the sense of hearing to the real world on Camino.

 

[G_NYC]

<sigh> David did not call anyone 'crazy'; he used a common euphemism to state how he felt about the issue. He made no reference to any specific individual, not did he demand others stop blocking out the sense of hearing to the real world on Camino.

Am I not allowed to feel the way I want to feel about the way he said it? This is not the first time that I sense an attitude of “walk your own Camino as long as it’s exactly like I did it”. So I decided to make an annual donation to the forum today to thank Ivar for providing the information helped me complete my Camino last year, but I’m going to stop reading and just walk my next Camino with the knowledge I have accumulated.

 

[davebugg]

Am I not allowed to feel the way I want to feel about the way he said it? This is not the first time that I sense an attitude of “walk your own Camino as long as it’s exactly like I did it”. So I decided to make an annual donation to the forum today to thank Ivar for providing the information helped me complete my Camino last year, but I’m going to stop reading and just walk my next Camino with the knowledge I have accumulated.

You use criticism of the feelings and values of others to defend your own criticisms. Nobody told you to stop doing anything, nor would I support anyone doing so. No one is interfering with you walking 'your own Camino'., nor would I support anyone doing so. David's feelings are about how he would choose to walk his own Camino, and are valid choices as well.

It can be frustrating when oppositional views from one's own are posted, but there is so much other content that you find valuable that I would encourage you to reconsider and continue participating or reading this forum.