Noisy night mountain climbers annoying villagers

Noisy night-time walkers heading up Wales' tallest mountain are making life a misery for people living nearby, villagers have said.

The number of people heading to and from Yr Wyddfa, or Snowdon, after dark is growing, say people living at the foot of the most popular path to the summit.

CCTV from this month shows more than 100 walkers streaming down Victoria Terrace in Llanberis, Gwynedd, in the early hours, many wearing head torches and talking loudly.

Eryri National Park Authority said it was aware of the issues and was working with the local council, Cyngor Gwynedd, to find solutions.

Christine Patton, whose security camera has recorded the nocturnal nuisance, said the problem was common during spring and summer.

Other problems include visitors driving up and down the road looking for somewhere to park, drunkenness, littering and regular instances of people using residents' gardens as a toilet.

"I'm really happy for people to go up [the mountain], but just be a bit quiet and respectful," she said.

"Have a good time but don't forget there's people who actually live here."

Mona Helllfeld has lived on the road for more than 40 years and said the problems have got much worse since the end of the Covid lockdowns.

She believes a system of wardens could help improve and monitor people's behaviour, along with improved signs in the area.

"When you drive through a village and there's a sign that says '20mph - slow down', we need something that says: 'Please be aware this is a residential area'."

The national park authority said it was "aware of the issues raised" and "recognise the impact and inconvenience they can have on the local community".

It added: "Unfortunately we have observed an increase in anti-social behaviour since the Covid outbreak and it is disheartening to see some users are still not respecting the residents and local communities in Eryri [Snowdonia].

The council said: "We remind people planning to visit popular attractions – and any organisation or charity organising an event – to be mindful of local communities and to plan ahead.

"This includes not disturbing local people, especially late at night, checking the parking arrangements before visiting any location, disposing of their litter and controlling their dogs and cleaning up their mess."

The original headline image accompanying this story has been changed to a more general view of Yr Wyddfa due to a potential risk that the original image could be misinterpreted.