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While many seek the great outdoors for its promise of peace and quiet, visitors to a popular European summit were greeted with long lines and maddening crowds this month.
Mount Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales, is known to hikers the world over as a six-to seven- hour ascent that rewards the hearty with beautiful views over Llyn Llydaw and Eryri National Park
While Snowdon typically draws upwards of 600,000 visitors a year, August has seen peak activity at the fabled peak, as exhibited in a recent video.
In a Facebook reel posted on August 9, outdoor guide company Trekking Tom Experiences showed a mess of hikers ambling up to the Snowdon summit.
‘Great to see so many people enjoying the outdoors!’ he sunnily captioned the post– but thousands of commenters were outraged, likening the mob scene to an abomination.
“That is my idea of hell. I don’t go outdoors to be in an environment more crowded than a city,” surmised one commenter.
“If you ever needed proof that there are too many people in the world,” said another.
“No thanks, I’ll wait for winter,” said a third.
According to Snowdon Info, summer is when crowds are at their thickest, especially on the mountain’s eastern paths. The website notes that 42% of all Snowdon hikers opt for the Llanberis Path, while an additional 42% take either The Pyg or Miner’s Track.
Conversely, the quietest paths can be found on the west side of the mountain, which many refer to as the “far side.” Routes include Rhyd Ddu Path and the Snowdon Ranger Path.
Other “hints for avoiding the herds” include going out of season, avoiding weekends and holidays, and summiting Snowdon by mid-morning, as the peak is at its most congested between 11:30 AM and 2 PM.
And it wasn’t just Trekking Tom who recorded a record flux of mountain lovers on August 8th.
In a TikTok clip shared by @Waywild, a snaking line of people can be seen waiting to get their selfie at the summit.
“Queue for the Snowdon summit giving major Everest traffic jam vibes. Decided to skip and save my sanity,” captioned the hiking enthusiast.
“Walk past them who said that you should queue; it’s a mountain, not a rollercoaster ride,” said the sole commenter.
Other footage taken earlier this month suggests the long lines are more of a summertime staple than a fluke.
In a similar video, @carlysadventures scans the sizable crowds linking up to make their way to the top, asking viewers if they would wait an hour at the top of the mountain just to touch the trig.
‘POV: You just wanted to touch the top of Snowdon… but the queue is longer than the actual hike,’ they wrote.
For some, the promise of the peak is outmatched by the throngs they may have to share it with.
“Not a chance. Too many people. It kills the nature vibe,” said one commenter.
“We were there Saturday, got to the top where the summit path starts and turned around and headed down. Too many people; it was manic,” testified another.
Snowdon is the latest in a rash of European destinations gaining notoriety for their crowds.
Viral visuals of Malta’s overcrowded streets, swarmed with sweaty sightseers congesting walkways, have helped to earn the island the dubious honor of being the most overcrowded in all of Europe.
Santorini has also come under fire for its tourist mobs.
And last year, thousands of clamoring tourists caused a “gridlock” of both traffic and people to access Sirmione, a resort town on the scenic shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy.
Dramatic footage of the rowdy scene was posted to X with the caption: “Overrun by tourists — chaos, gridlock and hours of waiting. A crisis that must be urgently addressed and regulated. It damages our heritage and turns the experience into a negative one.
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