Influencer sparks fury after abandoning bathtub on Wales' highest peak
An influencer who lugged a bathtub to the summit of Wales' highest southern peak has sparked outrage after the item was mistaken for fly-tipping and removed by volunteers.
Tom Christopher, 35, carried the tub up Pen y Fan on Thursday, July 16, hoping to break the record for the 'world's highest bath'. The peak stands at 886 metres (2,907 feet) above sea level, making it the highest British mountain south of Cadair Idris in Snowdonia.
Mr Christopher filmed himself hauling the heavy bathroom fixture up the mountain while attempting to watch the sunset. He placed signs at the base asking visitors to help fill the bath by bringing bottles of river water, intending to leave it there for 48 hours.
However, members of Cardiff Rugby Academy discovered the abandoned bathtub during a volunteer conservation day on Friday and carried it back down, believing it had been dumped illegally.
Growing concern over littering
The incident comes amid rising alarm over fly-tipping in Wales. Between April 2024 and March 2025, Wales recorded 48,367 fly-tipping incidents—a 14.7% increase representing approximately 133 illegal dumping cases every day across the country.
The timing is particularly sensitive, as the UK Government announced in July 2026 that maximum on-the-spot penalties for fly-tipping would increase from £1,000 to £5,000, a 400% rise. The bathtub incident occurred just weeks after this announcement.
A Cardiff Rugby Academy spokesman said:
Fantastic day for senior academy supporting the National Trust at Pen y Fan with some invaluable work experience and teamwork essential. Also the group had the pleasure of carrying a bath from the top down. Who would leave a bath up there?! #mindless.
High cost of mountain maintenance
Pen y Fan attracts between 350,000 and 750,000 visitors annually, making it one of Wales' most popular mountains. The National Trust has cared for the central Brecon Beacons for 30 years and spends around £100,000 each year maintaining footpaths on Pen y Fan alone, with each square metre of footpath costing over £300 to repair.
The mountain's popularity has created significant erosion challenges. Before the National Trust began repair work in the 1980s, footpath damage had created scars 30-40 metres wide on the slopes.
The peak forms part of the Bannau Brycheiniog Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which is legally protected for its geological and biological importance. There are 83 SSSIs within the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Influencer's apology
Mr Christopher has since apologised, insisting his intentions were positive.
Even though I'm the 'bad guy', I am so happy that people are sticking up for the national parks and keeping them clean,he said.
He explained:
It weighed a ton and was a nightmare to take it up there—so the honest truth was I thought I'd leave it there for 48 hours and then take it back down. I should have left a note on the bath explaining that really.
The National Trust rangers informed him the bath had been crushed. Mr Christopher said the brand-new bathtub cost him £400 and left him overdrawn.
I could have gotten a dirty scummy bath but it's brand new so I was definitely going to bring it back down,he added.
His video quickly went viral, receiving over 200,000 views in four hours.
The reason for the video soon became not just me taking the bath, but showing the public getting together to fill it up with water. People say, 'oh it's only for me', but I genuinely wanted to make it a community thing too.
Potential penalties
The stunt has sparked online debate, with some calling for Mr Christopher to face fly-tipping fines. Under the new legislation, on-the-spot fines in Wales can now reach £5,000.
A National Trust Cymru spokesman said:
Following reports of a bathtub being left on the summit of Pen y Fan, our ranger team, alongside volunteers from Cardiff Rugby Academy, retrieved it due to the risk it posed to both visitors and the Site of Scientific Interest with the potential for contamination.
The spokesman added:
Littering and fly-tipping can cause significant harm to landscapes and wildlife and it takes our ranger teams away from essential conservation work such as restoring and managing habitats and fixing footpaths. We kindly encourage everyone visiting the mountains, countryside and coast in our care to simply 'leave no trace', so that everyone can enjoy these special places.
