HELLO KESWICK CLIMBING WALL CLIMBERS!
We are delighted to be re-opening the climbing wall on the 25th July and be able to welcome you all back. We’ve been very busy in the last couple of weeks, working hard to comply with the Government guidelines, making Keswick Climbing Wall COVID-Secure and we are a Visit England certified Good To Go facility. From 25th July, we will be open for climbing but there will be some changes to the usual procedure:
RE-OPENING – WHAT CHANGES TO EXPECT
Firstly, if you are feeling at all unwell, have been in the company of a person who is unwell or have been told to self-isolate, then in the nicest possible way, please do not enter the wall: stay home and get well. We will still be here when you are better !
Our Centre is large, airy, and well ventilated and we have carried out a deep clean during the closure of the wall. We will have the large doors open, even in the rain to keep our ventilation to the maximum.
The new guidelines allow 1 person to every 9 square meters which means that our capacity will be reduced: 40 max climbing, 10 max in bouldering cave and 20 max in the café. Every person in the Centre counts towards that maximum capacity, including any spectators, so please don’t bring others to watch as we may have to ask them to leave to allow other climbers in.
We are now forced to bring in limited time sessions for this season – your entry fee buys you 3 hours max. We will not ask you to leave unless we are hitting our maximum capacity, and we will ask those who have been in longest to leave first. So please bear in mind that your entry may be limited to 3 hours at peak times and that we may need to ask you to vacate the building if we are busy and you have already been on site for 3 hours or more.
BOOKING
All instructed sessions and outdoor activities must be booked in advance. Numbers are limited on each session and must be booked and paid for before arrival. You will be given an arrival time once your booking is confirmed and please do not arrive any earlier than your given time.
ON ARRIVAL
We are operating a one way system in the centre: in at the Hungry Heifer café and out beside the Reception desk.
Please arrive at our Centre ‘Activity Ready’. Bring with you only what you will need to climb. If you need to get changed, please change in your car. This will reduce the number of people gathering in the changing areas, toilets and reduce the possibility of lost property.
We will be asking all our customers to use the hand sanitizer or the outside hand washing station before entering, read the information signage and to respect the current social distancing measures in the centre. The Reception desk and cafe counter have been fitted with screens and all staff have PPE.
All climbers will be asked to check-in at the front desk and then remember to check-out on leaving at reception. This is because we need to keep a record of the number of people in the building at any point.
COVID SECURE DETAILS
Keswick Climbing Wall is registered with Visit England as a Covid-19 secure venue under their Good to Go Scheme, showing we have systems in place to make the centre as secure as we can for our visitors and staff. We have in place a new cleaning regime as well as new checks and systems and we are constantly keeping up to date with developments.
We have installed a hand sanitiser station at the entry, exit, at Reception and the cafe and all 3 toilets and the outside hand wash basins will be fully stocked with anti-bacterial hand soap. It is recommended that everyone should wash their hands or use hand sanitiser when they enter and leave the centre. We also ask that you sanitize your hands before and after each climb or belay, so please bring your own pocket size hand sanitiser.
If you do touch your nose, mouth or eyes then make sure you wash / sanitize your hands before climbing or belaying again.
Current guidelines from the HSE states that you should wear a face mask where it is difficult to practice social distancing. We do not require you to wear a mask in the centre but it is good practice to do so.
Please note that we do not hold a stock of facemasks at the centre and you will need to bring your own if you do wish to wear one.
We will ensure that all frequently touched objects and surfaces outside of the bouldering area are regularly cleaned. For example, door handles, tables etc. are regularly cleaned and disinfected throughout the day.
If you need to visit the toilets, please be aware of other people and keep 1m to 2m apart where possible. On busy days, if you have finished climbing please vacate the climbing area so others can then climb.
EXPERIENCED CLIMBERS
We do not take bookings for experienced or unsupervised climbing or bouldering. This may mean that if the centre is at capacity when you arrive you may not be able to climb until there is room available for you.
FAMILY LESSONS AND KIDS FUN HOURS:
We will be limiting the lessons to 4 people max unless everyone is from the same family or bubble. Social distancing will be observed as much as possible unless in the need of safety. Booking is essential as we need to manage capacity in the centre. PLEASE
NOTE due to our reduced capacity, there will be no bouldering available after Kids Hour fun sessions.
SPECTATORS: Due to a limit on the capacity in the centre, we are asking that there is no more than one spectator per booking. If there are more than one spectator per booking, we will charge a £5.00 spectator fee and please note spectators may be asked to leave to allow climbers in if the building capacity is reached.
OTHER CENTRE SESSIONS
Anyone bringing groups to instruct will need to book spaces or preferably call the Centre directly to discuss arrangements and ensure all registration details are held by us before your visit. We need to hold a copy of your climbing qualification, current first aid and a copy of your current public liability insurance document. You may bring in no more than 10 people per qualified instructor.
CHANGES TO THE HUNGRY HEIFER CAFÉ
We have limited the seating in the café to allow social distancing and have provided some new outdoor tables. Hot drinks and soup will be available in take-out cups (recyclable or compostable) and we will also have a range of takeout cold drinks, cakes, snacks and filled rolls.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES:
Our outdoor activities are running for adventurers aged 8 and over. Capacity is reduced to keep within current social distancing guidelines and so we have 5 places per activity available instead of 10. Due to this reduced capacity, advance booking is essential.
ROOKERY WOODS:
Rookery Woods is open for our younger adventurers aged 8 and under. There is no need to book and we will monitor numbers on busy days. Please note that you are responsible for social distancing and please bring your own hand sanitiser to use while playing.
WATER BOTTLE REFILLS:
We will not be refilling water bottles. We have additional stock of water if you forget to bring water with you.
