Your next skiing trip could be closer than you think.
If all you want for Christmas is an exciting European skiing holiday, then Santa has some disappointing news for you. France, Italy and Germany have all agreed to close their ski resorts, at least until January. Austria's are also currently closed, but they are planning to allow some to open on Christmas Eve. However, they'll be enforcing strict measures to ensure that only locals get to enjoy their precious white stuff.
Conversely, the ski slopes in Switzerland are already open and the plan is to keep them open throughout the winter. This decision by the Swiss authorities has attracted a great deal of disapproval from their European neighbours, who are not only keen to suppress the transmission of coronavirus, but also concerned with avoiding any unfair competition. Although Switzerland are part of the single market, they're not an EU or EEA member, so they're not necessarily obliged to comply with the 'level playing field'. There's a key factor to consider though, if you're thinking about a trip to the Swiss alps. Although Switzerland aren't imposing any quarantine on tourists coming from the UK, people coming from Switzerland to the UK currently have to undergo 14 days of quarantine.
Other countries with Alpine ski resorts might still be an option. In Bulgaria, three major resorts — Bansko, Pamporovo and Borovets — are staying open throughout December. Romania and Slovakia are also keeping their ski slopes open, with a decision still pending about Slovenia. Some Spanish ski resorts in the Pyrenees are set to open this week, but for locals only, and many others will remain shut until January at least. But again, you will need to self-isolate for 2 weeks upon returning to the UK from these countries.
Before you decide to pack your boots and blades, take a moment to weigh up the risk. Cases of coronavirus are still high across Europe, so to protect yourself and others, why not explore some possibilities a little closer to home? There are multiple indoor skiing centres across the UK, including Snozone in Milton Keynes and Castleford; Snow Factor in Glasgow; The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead; Snowdome in Tamworth; and Chill Factore in Manchester. These centres have slopes with real snow ranging in length from 160-200 metres, and all offer lessons from qualified instructors.
This kind of gentle ski practice can help to keep your body conditioned so that when you are able to get away and take to the more challenging slopes, you'll be much better placed to avoid injury. The most common skiing injuries tend to be strains and tears to the knee ligaments; lower leg and ankle strains; back injuries; and upper extremity injuries such as wrist fractures. We can tailor a conditioning program to strengthen the muscles around the parts of the body that are most prone to injury, through one of our Biokinetic packages.
Call us on 0203 893 5100 or book an appointment online.