Walkers packed onto one of the most dangerous routes in Snowdonia at the weekend. This image of a queue was taken at Crib Goch, one of the peaks which forms part of the Snowdon horseshoe. It is a treacherous knife-edge arete with a 1,000ft drop on either side.
Despite the 923m peak being notoriously dangerous, there were reportedly queues of around 100 people on the summit on Saturday. The mountain has claimed the lives of numerous people over the years- most recently in February 2021 when an experienced walker fell 1,000ft.
The summit of Crib Goch is on one of the routes to the top of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa). It is by far the hardest and most dangerous route to the summit of Wales' highest mountain.
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The Daily Post reported that regular visitors to Snowdonia have complained in recent times about the mountains becoming like "Picadilly Circus" - spoiling the area's unique appeal. Others argued that no one has any more right to climb on the mountains than anyone else.
Recent, well-publicised claims about human faeces being found on Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) sparked heated online debates about public access to the mountain. Some said Wales’ highest peak was now "busier than Blackpool", others noted that queuing times for Alton Towers rides were often shorter than the wait to reach Snowdon's summit.
Marianne Davies said on Twitter: "For many years I would have been on Snowdon weekly (between taking groups and with mountain rescue). I have never seen it this crowded."
Jonny Davies said: "It used to be empty, I'm sure mountain rescue volunteers are waiting for an increase in incidents. Crib Goch isn't a playground it's a dangerous route."
User @PoisonGaz said: "There's no sense in it. There are plenty of other beautiful mountains in Snowdonia that will probably be deserted."
But Chris Fisher took a different view, he said: "It's a bit like complaining about traffic surely. If you are there then you are part of the traffic and have no more right to complain about anyone else being there."
