A while back I passed the Pen Y Grwryd pub on my way to work. The pub was and still is a focal point for Everest enthusiasts, as the ‘training’ route that Hillary and his men used started and finished from the pub, it has since gotten the name the PYG track after the initials of the pub. Outside the pub there have been some road works for the last few months as they basically try to limit the ad-hoc roadside parking, and make a limited number of parking bays.
Well last weekend was the first time that I have passed going to work when the work has been completed. Now I have no idea at what the council was hoping to achieve by limiting the parking, as the demand for park was still going to be there, and interestingly even the park and ride car park was full to over flowing by 10 am. So whilst the early birds got the limited parking bays. All that has happened is the parking problem now extends further down Nant Gwynant and further towards Capel Curig.
So all they have successfully done is shift a problem not actually solved it!
Now rumour has it and I can not be bothered to check these rumours by looking at the planning application, is that they are going to change the parking to being a freeway down towards Nant Gwynant and Capel Curig. This legal change in the roads status means that those parking on the side of the road where there isn’t an official parking bay and soon to be Pay and Display Meter you can be potentially ticketed by the police for breaking the rules of the road.
Given that this happens already, and also happens on the road by Pen Y Pass, I would suggest that when this happens we advise everyone who can’t park in an ‘official’ area to park as close to Pen Y Pass as possible, as if you are going to be fined £35 for the privilege of parking to walk up Snowdon, then you might as well park closer to where you want to be parked then walk the extra mile up hill from the Pen Y Grwryd.
Yet another blindingly stupid idea from Gwynedd Council.