Expert Warns Parents Against Taking Babies Up Mountains for Summit Photos

An expert has urged parents to stop carrying their babies up one of the world’s busiest mountains in the hope of capturing a selfie.

A mountain guide and hiking expert has criticized parents who bring babies and young children on challenging mountain climbs in pursuit of a picture-perfect photo.

According to a report by The Times of London, Callum Tipton, who runs an organization that helps men combat depression through hiking, urged parents not to take babies up the U.K.’s busiest mountain, Snowdon, also known as Yr Wyddfa, in Snowdonia, North Wales. Yr Wyddfa is Wales’ highest mountain and is climbed by over 600,000 walkers every year.

Tipton shared a series of safety warnings in a social media post after a difficult climb in poor weather conditions raised concerns about the behavior of some hikers. Tipton says he was particularly concerned by seeing people who were not properly prepared for the conditions, including parents carrying babies in carriers in an attempt to capture photos from the mountain.

“I’ll probably upset a few people, but so be it. Your baby doesn’t need a summit selfie,” Tipton writes in the social media post. “They can’t tell you they’re cold, they can’t regulate their temperature like you can, and while your body keeps their core warm, their hands and feet are exposed to the elements. Just because you can take a baby up a mountain doesn’t mean you should.”

North Wales Live reports that taking babies to high-altitude locations is generally discouraged because their lungs and bodies are still developing. However, Yr Wyddfa — which stands at 3,560 feet — is below the altitude where thinner air is typically considered a major concern. However, safety experts warn that taking babies onto the mountain can still be dangerous due to changing weather conditions, steep trails, and uneven terrain. Even in summer, high winds and sudden temperature drops can put infants at risk, as they are unable to regulate their body temperature or warm themselves through movement like adults who are walking.

The warning comes after growing concerns about young people increasingly being rescued from mountains while trying to capture dramatic images for social media. Influencers and the search for the perfect selfie are drawing inexperienced young people to mountain landscapes around the world, but many are finding themselves unprepared for the challenges they face. The so-called “Instagram effect” is contributing to this rise in mountain rescue incidents involving Generation Z who take risks in pursuit of a photograph.

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