I Couldn't Reach Yr Wyddfa's Summit Because of Queue Jumpers - BBC News
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Quote: "I've had both my hips replaced, so there was no way I could have gone up the rocky side of it," - Helen Pacey
By Rowenna Hoskin, BBC Wales | Published 28 August 2026
When Helen Pacey and her family booked a trip on the Snowdon Mountain Railway, they were looking forward to reaching the summit of Yr Wyddfa (also known as Snowdon). However, after waiting in line for 30 minutes at the top of Wales' highest mountain, she had to return down without completing the climb.
"Because people were pushing in, we missed out," Pacey said, expressing her disappointment about queue jumpers.
This summer, scores of visitors have climbed Yr Wyddfa, but long queues and arguments between those waiting in line and queue jumpers have been reported.
Pacey shared her experience after she and her family faced a crowded summit on 22 August:
"It was hectic. There were people just pushing and shoving and running past us... It's not fair that these people that are much fitter than others are just running up the rocks and getting to the top."
Pacey suggested implementing safety measures, such as an authority figure to maintain order or barriers guiding traffic on and off the mountain.
Serena Cain, who also experienced a long queue at the summit, shared her similar frustration:
"I literally go to pieces in a queue... It is very difficult for me, particularly when I'm exhausted and overstimulated."