Snowdon was compared to "Piccadilly Circus" over the Easter bank holiday weekend as long queues formed on Wales's highest peak.
Well publicised claims about human faeces being found on Snowdon sparked heated online debates about public access to the mountain. Some said the mountain was now "busier than Blackpool", others noted that queuing times for Alton Tower's rides were often shorter than the wait to reach Snowdon's summit (30 minutes for The Smiler, 20 minutes for Wicker Man, on Easter Monday, according to the TowersStreet Facebook page).
The result was a "Piccadilly Circus" on the mountain that spoiled its unique appeal, critics argued. The long queues that often snake down from its peak were labelled "bonkers" and unique to Snowdon – quite unlike anything seen on any other mountain in Britain and Europe, reported North Wales Live.
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However, National Park bosses said problems with littering and parking were no more significant than usual. Car parks and laybys were full but park-and-ride schemes were said to have coped well with the influx of walkers. Only on the A5 in the Ogwen Valley were there issues of illegal parking with some motorists removing traffic cones next to pavements, according to Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA).
Some have hit back at criticism of tourists and the "over-commercialisation" of Snowdonia's (Eryri) mountains. One person said Snowdon’s popularity was inevitable. "To the majority of the 600,000people a year who climb it, it is and will be the highest mountain they will ever summit," he said.
Another said it was "perfectly reasonable" for people to head to the mountains at weekends when the weather is good. "Not everyone has the luxury of time off in the week or when it's quieter early in the morning," she said, adding: "These are popular, accessible routes, especially for people who have been waiting for a day off and the weather to be OK. Yeh sure, the parking is a nightmare, and I get that, but to call people muppets or idiots is a bit unfair, at least they are getting outside."
Another said: "It's an achievement for some people to say they've hiked up the highest mountain in Wales. There's a purpose-built path to the summit for a reason."
SNPA has long promoted the less-visited peaks of southern Snowdonia but with mixed results. The Rhinogs were reported to be quiet over the weekend as visitors gravitated to the likes of Snowdon and Tryfan.
There was also concern that too many people were going ill-equipped for a day on the mountains. Experts fear novices are being motivated by social media to choose dangerous routes beyond their capabilities.
People being caught short on the mountains is an age-old problem and has long been an issue for the staff and volunteers who keep Snowdon clean. SNPA said they had worked "tirelessly" over the weekend but a spokesperson added: "The matters that were addressed over the weekend are not new problems. The conclusion from the staff and volunteers on the ground showed the issues were not as significant as were reported in the media."
An SNPA spokesperson added: "We are placing sensors at all our car parks around the foothills of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). This will enable potential visitors to make informed decisions about which areas they wish to visit and have a back-up plan if the car parks are at full capacity."
