1,085m (3,560ft) above the Welsh countryside is where Yr Wyddfa's peak is located.
It is the highest point in Britain until you reach Scotland's Mount Ben Nevis, which is 260 miles (418 kilometers) away.
One of the most pristine environments in the country is undoubtedly found on Yr Wyddfa, or Snowdon as it is also known.
But according to research, it is just as much at risk from a growing threat to the natural world — plastic — as are many more populated areas.
Microplastics were discovered in soil samples taken along the Llanberis path to the summit as part of an investigation for the Eryri, also known as Snowdonia, National Park.
Not to mention how much litter was clearly left behind on the slopes, significant amounts were also discovered at the peak itself.
The mountain is attempting to defend itself, as are its defenders. In an effort to make the mountain the first plastic-free mountain in the world, the park started the Plastic Free Yr Wyddfa project in April.
This work is personal for Plastic Free Yr Wyddfa officer Alec Young. Born and raised in the park, he returned after a few years away with experience in sustainability, hoping to "improve" and "change" the place he loves on a more local level.
There is no mention of environmental police stationed at Eryri's entrances to seize single-use plastic from unwary tourists.
Alec and the project's partners, some of whom are already on board, want to change how visitors, residents, and business owners behave.
With a focus on single-use plastics, the goal is to significantly reduce all litter on the mountain.
Plas Coch Guest House in Llanberis is run by Fiona and Rob Nicholson.
They were former headteachers in the south-east of England and "wanted to stop being tourists who came to the area" in order to support the community's economy and environment.
The couple has paid close attention to how they can assist walkers in eating and drinking without having an impact on the environment because 95 percent of their visitors are there specifically to climb Yr Wyddfa.
"We started our packed lunch initiative and called it fuel your mountain day because we thought it was more than just a lunch," Fiona said. You must be safely transported both up the mountain and back down.
We prepare the sandwiches after asking guests what they would like, put them in a brown paper bag, and then set out the other items they can take with them.
We have portable metal water bottles for them to use. We have flasks, so we ask them to put their choice of hot beverage inside.
We do provide them with fresh fruit and send them up the mountain with a green composting bag, asking them to bring everything they take back. ".
The guest house also has a recycling station where visitors can dispose of their used paper bags, any food waste, and any soft plastics they may have for composting or recycling. For passing tourists, there is also a water refill station.
They no longer provide anything packaged in single-use plastic, such as biscuit packs or UHT milk pots, in favor of freshly baked flapjacks, Welsh cakes, and self-serve jugs of fresh milk.
The couple claimed that by making these adjustments, they have saved about £1,000 a year on waste fees because they are no longer required to pay for commercial refuse collection.
"I feel like the quality of what we do has increased every time we've taken action to eliminate single-use plastics," said Rob.
Director of Cymdeithas Eryri, the Snowdonia Society, John Harold, claimed that the group had been at the "sharp end" of removing trash from the mountain and the larger national park for more than 50 years.
Single-use plastics have taken over the market more and more over time, he claimed.
John cited a litter collection effort that was made on just one section of path and produced hundreds of disposable water bottles.
These are phenomenal numbers, he said, if you multiply them over the entire region and calendar year.
Every year, Cymdeithas Eryri cleans up about a ton of trash from Yr Wyddfa and the main tourist attractions in Eryri. It comprises a sizable volume because the majority of it is light plastic waste.
According to him, the project was about "inspiring people," "respect," and "pride.".
"This isn't a place where you can police your way to an answer," he continued. ".
A number of businesses at the mountain's base as well as the visitor train and Hafod Eryri café are run by Snowdon Mountain Railway.
Following a nearly four-year closure due to the pandemic, it is getting ready to resume trips all the way up Yr Wyddfa and reopen the café in June.
Vince Hughes, the commercial manager for the railway, claimed that his initial encounter with Alec had made him aware of potential areas for adjustment.
Mr. Hughes stated, "I believe a lot of people might assume it refers to plastic bottles, drink bottles, etc. However, as he explained, if you look at our other retail areas, the amount of single-use plastic was going unnoticed.
One "easy fix" was the delivery of magnets individually wrapped in plastic, which was discarded as soon as they were placed on display.
He questioned, "Why are they packing them into these packets that we don't want and no one is using?
If you want to completely avoid using plastic, supplying a café at the top of a mountain without access to water is no easy task.
The café cannot suddenly switch to filling people's water bottles because it needs 10,000 liters of water to be transported up by train each day for its own uses and toilet needs.
It will be difficult to update the café's supplies. Because they cannot be resealed, switching to cans has not been successful in the past.
However, options are being considered. A water borehole company will conduct preliminary research to see if it is possible to extract drinking water from the mountain itself. If successful, this could completely transform the café's business model.
Alec advised against "demonizing" plastic because, when used properly, it can be incredibly useful.
The key will be to persuade visitors to reduce usage and discard any single-use plastic they may have brought with them.
Alec said, "A lot of it revolves around how you persuade people to better prepare, think differently,'refill before the hill,' reuse and recycle.
What do guests at Yr Wyddfa think of the initiative?
Catherine Munton, a resident of Newcastle upon Tyne, said, "We're all about sustainability - I think that's a really positive message.".
When she and her husband Lee learned how much trash had been collected, they were not shocked. It's terrible that people don't take it home, Catherine continued.
More trash cans, according to Middleton residents Michelle Marshall and Sharon Langton from nearby Manchester.
Why not just throw [garbage] in your bag, people. Just take it home, everyone has a backpack," Sharon advised.
The quantity of plastic trash that Derek Littlejohn, an Aberdeenshire resident, had observed, disappointed him.
It's unfortunate to see it in that kind of condition, he said, having just walked up there and observed how much plastic is on the mountain itself. He favored eliminating plastic.
"Preventing that from happening in any way would be fantastic. ".
Andrew Franco, a hiker from California, said: "I think it's probably your job as a hiker to appreciate all the nature that you are hiking in.". Great ideas include reusable water bottles and thermoses. Plastic bottles are not necessary. "If you have snacks, wrap them in parchment paper or kitchen paper; it's simple. For whatever you are bringing with you, plastic is not necessary. ".
George Herd has more reporting.
