Huge queues on Snowdon

[al78]

Another example of rammed full Britain, 45 minute queues to get a summit photo, even when all you can see is your hand in front of your face.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-58284171

Hard to see how this can be resolved any time soon. Put a cafe on the summit of the highest mountain outside the Scottish highlands, a railway for those who want an easy way up, and positioned a day trip from several big cities and it is not that surprising.

The same would probably have happened on Ben Nevis (the crowds) if Fort William was a couple of hours drive from big cities.

[jmarkb]

Queues happen on Ben Nevis too - https://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/UK_Tallest_Mountain_Summit_Queue_DN01.jpg

In both cases this is probably exacerbated by the small raised platform around the trig point that everyone wants to stand on.

[CharlesT]

Snowdon has always been a busy summit, but the current situation looks ridiculous. When I was last there in mid November 2011 there were at least 30 people in the summit area in mid week.

I have never been on the summit plateau of Ben Bevis when there were less than 50 people there. I can recall summiting from one of the gullys in cold, claggy full-on Winter conditions to find the area heaving with people.

Think I won't be going back to either any time soon.

[goth_angel]

This is the only mountain I have ever had to queue on. No visibility for me either. Doesn't exactly inspire going back.

[Mal Grey]

Most of me hates the idea of queues on mountains, but part of me is glad that everybody just focuses on these few hills so the others are emptier for those of us who actually enjoy planning our own adventures rather than just following the crowds.

[Skyelines]

I'm happy to say that I have a very good memory from some 40 years ago when a girlfriend and myself were the only people on the summit of Snowdon one winter having spent the afternoon playing in the snow gullies and eventually arriving at the top to watch the sun go down.
The walk down was in the light from a full moon in a cloudless sky that cast strong shadows of us on the snow.
The snow cover was down to Glaslyn and the reflection off it just lit up the cwm.

[bootsandpaddles]

I imagine the queue is to take a selfie at the summit. I would just walk past the queue to reach the summit and then carry on with my walk.

[nigheandonn]

Not so easy to do that on Snowdon, the summit is at the top of a set of stairs!

I had to wait a bit even on a Friday in October. On the other hand I had the summit of Helvellyn to myself at about 8pm on a June evening - that was a nice bit of lateral thinking.

[Scraggygoat]

Approximately 150,000 people summit Ben Nevis each year.

The issue of busy peaks is partly accessibility and partly promotion.

The outdoors has been commoditised and commercialised needing ever increasing ‘growth’ in numbers to sustain gear manufacturers, guides & MLs ect. and Walkhighlands is part of that trend. If hills are accessible both in terms of location and of information/technology breaking down barriers to participation it’s no surprise numbers increase.

Before if you went somewhere nice you might tell a couple of friends. Now for vain glory or commercial gain people tell the world on social media, and have no introspective thought as to where it might lead.

The old adage of leave only footprints and take only photographs is wrong, we should be more enlightened.

Try not to leave footprints, and if you take photos show no one.

[al78]

The old adage of leave only footprints and take only photographs is wrong, we should be more enlightened.

Try not to leave footprints, and if you take photos show no one.

I'm not sure I'd go that far. I share my photographs of beautiful hill scenes with friends and relatives who don't have the will or ability to get to those places themselves, but can still appreciate the beauty.

[Border Reiver]

A good number of years ago, I climbed Ben Nevis in early March. I saw no-one until after I had put on crampons near the snow line at the Red Burn, where I met two climbers who had completed a North Face route. They told me of a great temperature inversion higher up, so I continued to the summit, to find that the cloud level had risen too and I could see very little. I ate a lunch with only a few sparrows for company then set off back down, still without meeting anyone else, until I met three men near the Red Burn. They were all under-equipped for snow/ice so I let them know of the icy conditions and left them to it. I looked back after a while and saw that they had wisely turned around and were heading back down. I've climbed the Ben a number of times, but to have the summit and path to myself in peace and quiet was great.

[davekeiller]

Keeps the crowds off the Glyderau and the Carneddau!

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

Keeps the crowds off the Glyderau and the Carneddau!

I agree

But, I am also a bit of a heretic. I don’t have any negative feelings about the crowds. I recently walked up the Llanberis path, and really enjoyed it.

A big reason for my enjoyment was the diversity. On most hills, the occasional people I meet mostly look like me. Almost always, they are white. Generally, men outnumber women, and children and teens are a rare sight.

On the Llanberis path, it was a joy to have a discussion about the route with a Middle Eastern lad who didn’t have English as his first language - and to hear many people speaking in Welsh, as well as Urdu, Polish, Spanish and Romanian.

Tim

[al78]

Keeps the crowds off the Glyderau and the Carneddau!

The Carneddau maybe, but the Glyders have plenty of visitors. Last time I went up Tryfan I had to queue for the scrambly bits, and have you ever tried to park in the Ogwen valley on a warm sunny weekend?

[Alteknacker]

Most of me hates the idea of queues on mountains, but part of me is glad that everybody just focuses on these few hills so the others are emptier for those of us who actually enjoy planning our own adventures rather than just following the crowds.

Exactly. My brother and I wandered around the Rhinogs a few years ago, on a perfect spring day when I would bet my life there were quite literally 1000s on Yr Wyddfa. And we encountered one other pair only.

Long life the honey pots!