After a number of false dawns with the government changing its mind of previously announced opening dates, England’s five indoor snow centres have now all re-opened.
The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead, Chill Factore near Manchester, the two Snozones in Milton Keynes and Castleford and the UK’s original indoor snow centre The Snowdome near Tamworth are all now open.
SnowFactor near Glasgow remains closed with the rules on the reopening of large indoor spaces different in Scotland. It closed five months ago on March 20th and has not yet announced a target re-opening date.
Chill Factore is the latest centre to re-open releasing a video to show guests what measures have been put in place to keep them, and team members, safe during their visit.
The Chill Factore team are wearing PPE and protective screens have been installed at the main Guest Reception, along with multiple sanitising stations for guests to use on arrival, during their visit, and when they leave. In addition, snow fans must pre-book their tickets online and collect them from the self-service machines (below) or Guest Reception upon arrival.
To reduce contact among guests and in line with the current Government guidelines, the changing and locker facilities will remain closed and Chill Factore is not offering clothing hire for its activities. Guests will need to arrive in warm, waterproof clothing and appropriate clean, grippy footwear before heading out to the sub-zero slope to enjoy the snow.
For those activities where kit hire is essential, including lessons and lift passes, guests are still able to borrow skis, ski boots, snowboards and helmets, or of course, bring their own.
“All equipment will be subject to thorough sanitising and quarantine measures between each use, using a new anti-viral fogging machine which eliminates airborne viruses on contact,” a spokesperson for the centre said.
“We are thrilled to be able to reopen our doors to guests in August. We know many ski and snowboard enthusiasts, along with families that enjoy activities together, have missed the slopes over the last few months and are eager to get back out there,” said Chill Factore CEO Morwenna Angove who added, “Not all of our activities are up and running just yet so please do check online before arriving a Chill Factore to avoid disappointment.”