Furious tourist row breaks out over queue jumping on Snowdon

A row has erupted at Snowdon with some visitors forced to wait more than an hour to reach the summit of Wales’ highest mountain this summer. Arguments have broken out as some climbers have jumped the queue to touch the metal plate marking the top.

The hot weather has seen a surge in visitors to Snowdon, known in Welsh as Yr Wyddfa, in recent months. People have flocked from far and wide to climb the popular mountain which stands at 1,085 metres above sea level. However, the increase in visitor numbers has led to lengthy queues with social media videos showing arguments between queue-jumpers and those waiting their turn to reach the summit in Snowdonia. One climber said people should realise they’re “not at Alton Towers for a ride”.

As reported by the BBC, climbers have mixed views about queuing to reach the top. Some argue it’s dangerous to overtake people near the summit while others insisted you should just be able to walk up without having to wait.

Lucy Taylor said: “I think you should queue because it’s really quite dangerous and everyone’s trying to get up there – it’s just not safe.”

Tina Millard from West Bromwich disagreed: “I don’t think that you should have to queue. It’s a mountain, you should just be able to go up and that’s it. We’re not at Alton Towers for a ride. It’s a mountain, it’s for everyone.”

The national park has urged people to wait their turn when queuing amid a surge in visitors this summer. Alun Jones, an area warden for Eryri National Park Authority, advised people to be “considerate and don’t skip the queue”.

In May, Jamie Richardson, 32, and 34-year-old Richard Thiedeman, both from Lincolnshire, were climbing Snowdon to raise money for their friend who has motor neurone disease (MND). However, they were reportedly booed from a queue at the summit as they reached the top.

Mr Richardson said a man “physically tried to stop” him from touching the summit point as he completed the charity challenge. A second person reportedly told him he “should be ashamed of himself”.

The climber said there’s “no policing” of the queue as it is based on an unwritten social contract. However, there are no plans to introduce formal measures at Snowdon this year.

A spokesman for the Eryri National Park Authority said it had “no plans to intervene in a dispute over hikers queuing at the top of Yr Wyddfa”. He added: “There are three quarters of a million people summitting annually, so queues are likely to be expected in peak times.”