10 June 2023 , 18:55
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Furious Snowdonia visitors have demanded that “self-righteous” locals give them a “warmer” welcome.
Some walkers and climbers to Eryri National Park have been left fuming after scenes emerged of cars being towed from the roads.
But it has sparked a debate as some seasoned visitors have admitted mixed feeling as the national park soars in popularity and locals have been left suffering, they claim.
The honeypot area tends to attract visitors from across the country, especially when the weather turns warmer, but some of whom park illegally or dangerously.
This has become such a problem the national park instituted a zero-tolerance policy.
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But some have said this has gone too far.
A blogger accused rural communities of being too quick to condemn anyone who wants to visit the countryside.
A zero-tolerance approach is being used in the national park (Gwalia Garage/North Wales Live)He said: “The root cause of the parking issues is not hundreds of insensitive louts being lazy or ignorant - the vast majority are decent people stuck with nowhere to park and poor alternative provision.
"It should not be beyond the national park and local authority capability to anticipate peak crowds and make appropriate provision that make’s visitors welcome and well catered for.
“Instead we are presented with a self-righteous, insular, let’s-tow-away-their-cars-and-that’ll-show-em type attitude, which is counterproductive and, most of all, ungenerous. Let’s see more constructive and generous proposals rather than this biting of the hand that feeds.”
The numbers of visitors to Eryri surged from 2017 to peak pre-Covid pandemic, and locals believe numbers have rocketed once again since.
Such is the problem of illegal and reckless parking that the national park has a fleet of tow trucks ready to go over busy periods like Bank Holidays (Gwalia Garage/North Wales Live)But, North Wales Live reported how locals are left bearing the brunt of the problems including the indiscriminate parking, littering, off-lead dogs, and disposable barbecues left around the place posing a fire risk.
Tensions appear to be rising, the outlet said, but for regular visitors, there is some sympathy for locals. Writing on Facebook, one man said “99% of the people.... are friendly and welcoming".
But he added: “I’ve been climbing and hiking in North Wales for nearly 20 years and whilst ascending the Llanberis path (on Yr Wyddfa) recently, I was told by a local in Llanberis to “go back to where I belong”. Wherever that is!
“Inconsiderate parking and littering infuriates me as it does most other people. Unfortunately, the minority once again ruin it for the majority.”
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Over Easter, almost 40 vehicles were towed from Pen-y-Pass on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and the A5 in the Ogwen Valley.
Eryri National Park has a long-term goal of greater sustainability, and a key part of that is reducing reliance on cars.
The national park is now ringed with park-and-ride sites and an app has been launched to guide visitors to car parks with free spaces, and shuttle buses run continuously to places like Yr Wyddfa and Llyn Ogwen.
For locals blighted by inconsiderate parking it’s a bitter pill to swallow. In April, the A5 was closed for several hours as police battled to clear double-parked vehicles.
Locals were stuck at home and farm livestock went untended.
Heading into the summer season, when visitor numbers traditionally peak, there are fears of more to come.
Snowdon Mountain Railway is this month resuming summit services and reopening its long-closed Hafod Eryri cafe - a move expected to bring more people to the already crowded peak of Wales' highest mountain.
Vehicles causing a hazard should be removed, insisted one local. “I wouldn’t expect anything else if I parked up on Manchester ring road and went shopping for the afternoon,” he said. Another questioned: “So people will risk being towed and putting others lives at risk for the sake of £20 per car? Unbelievable!”
A local woman accused some visitors of a lack of consideration for the communities into which they enter. “There seems to be a post-Covid attitude of entitlement that they can do what they like, when they like and how they like,” she said. “Abuse by some visitors is on the increase - not all, but the numbers are rising.”
The preference by some visitors to park at the foot of mountains, rather than use park-and-ride facilities, is a challenge facing the park authorities. Walkers complain that, after a tiring day on the mountains, the last thing they want is to “wait an hour for a bus”.
However, Eryri National Park believes its approach is bearing fruit. “Only a small minority of visitors are not following the guidelines, said a spokesperson. "We are very grateful for everyone’s cooperation in this regard.”