Charity hikers booed for dodging 'Alton Towers-like' queues at final summit of challenge

Two charity hikers climbing Snowdon were booed for dodging "Alton Towers-like" queues at the final summit of their challenge.

Jamie Richardson, 32, and Richard Thiedeman, 34, were climbing the Welsh peak when they ended up furious at their reception upon completing their impressive feat.

The pair were met with boos from other hikers who had been waiting their turn during the busy Bank Holiday weekend as they reached the trig point at the summit – with queues so long they were compared to those at Alton Towers.

The charitable double act wre raising money for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) after their friend was diagnosed with the life-changing condition three years ago.

Both were donning t-shirts which told the story of Tom, who had been diagnosed back in 2023, which read: "Now, in 2026, he needs a machine to breathe for him. We're raising money to give him a funeral."

The pair subsequently tried their hand at the Three Peaks Challenge, all within the space of 24 hours.

They first travelled from their homes in Lincolnshire to Scotland to scale Bev Nevis, then back down to England for Scafell Pike.

The duo then headed to Wales to hike Yr Wyddfa at 5am on Sunday morning. Initially, the men were surrounded by a "friendly" ambience and claimed everyone was in "good spirits".

They were even offered a lift from the car park to the start point at the base of the summit.

"There were two young ladies that saw us walking and saw all the charity labels we had on us," Mr Thiedeman recalled.

"They were very kind and were able to give us a ride to the start of the trail."

However, when faced with the queue for the peak, the duo opted to jump ahead of their fellow adventurers.

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The peak is particularly known for its extensive queuing system, with some visiting having to wait more than an hour to touch the point.

In a bid to defend his actions, Mr Thiedeman said he was "really exhausted", adding: "I just needed to get it over with, I'm in the sun, I'm getting sunburned. I just need to tap (the point) and leave."

Meanwhile, Mr Richardson was blockaded by another furious hiker who "physically tried to stop" him.

When he touched the summit, he said he had heard one person comment: "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Mr Richardson defended their decision to rail against common courtesy and said there was no real policing of the queuing system.

The ordeal boiled down to "British culture traditions", he added.

Mr Thiedeman slammed the other hikers and proclaimed the pair had merited a "cheer and a well done" for their achievement.

The Snowdon summit stands at 3,560ft high nestled in the heart of the Eryri National Park.

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