Chill Factore is easy to find

By Wendy Clarkson

It’s been a long time coming for the folk of Manchester and the surrounding area but it’s finally here – Chill Factore!

To say we were excited about this trip would be an understatement, having lived in Manchester for a good proportion of our lives and putting up with the hell which is the M62 on a Friday rush hour, we are more than happy that this new slope has landed right on our doorstep.

We pulled up to Chill Factore in the early afternoon so we got a good view of the imposing blue building. Rather then covering the slope in a tent like structure, Chill Factore is the snow slope equivalent of a supermodel - all sharp angles and no curves, but strangely good looking.

It’s also very easy to find from the M60, just leave at junction 10 and then straight of the motorway junction you are pulling into the car park.

We unloaded all our gear from the car and skipped up to the entrance where we were greeted by a fantastic view of the slope - right from the front door!

There is a huge panorama window which looks out onto the bottom of the main slope, nursery slope and the rather fun looking luge. It is so mesmerising that you could almost walk straight past the various shops lining the main ‘street’ where you can purchase all your snowboard needs and some tasty bites to eat.

Then shopping area has rea alpine style

Straight away you are hit by the ‘vibe’ of Chill Factore, the stone paths, wooden walkways and slate details really do draw you into the ‘Alpine experience’

As our guide commented: “All we need is people walking round in ski and snowboard boots to make it even more realistic.” Not sure how much actors would cost to endure the pain of walking in ski boots all day long though!

Walking upstairs we are initially greeted by The Mont Blanc, a pancake house with a no nonsense approach to a quick bite to eat.

There are various childrens’ parties happening and lots of noise but then we are taken into the cosy and serene Eiger – a fine dining restaurant modelled on the quality restaurants you find all over the French Alps. It’s probably more of an extravagance than an every visit place to eat, but would be great fun for a birthday or special celebration.

A lovely warm fire sits in the wall between the Mont Blanc and the Eiger and creates a cosy atmosphere in both areas.

The main thing to note at this point is that from every restaurant and bar upstairs there is a view onto the slope. From the Eiger the main view from the windows is onto the two nursery slopes, play area and the luge. From the Mont Blanc you can access one of two large balconies overlooking the slope, this one looking over the left hand side of the piste and the nursery area.

There are some deluxe touches in the bars and restaurants

Along the main wooden walkway, we enter Chilli’s Sports Bar which is the main bar with a nice warm inviting atmosphere and more great viewing opportunities onto the snow. The second balcony is accessible from here and gives a great view of the entire main slope. At present you can’t take drinks onto the balconies which is a shame, but it is a good excuse to come back in to the warm now and again.

There are some nice seating areas inside next to the windows in Chilli’s, one looking like a little igloo and the other like a 1970’s swedish sauna if you prefer. The bar has lots of TV screens dotted around and even some small ones set into the posts. I am told that these will show footage from the main slope on an hours delay so you can even catch a glimpse of yourself whilst you relax with a beer.

After our tour of the upstairs we were let loose on the slope. Access is via a card (like a credit card) which you buy at reception next to the slope entrance.

All lifts have access gates which are opened by swiping the card near it, similar to most resorts these days, so if you can find a suitable pocket you don’t have to take your lift pass out for the duration of your ride.

There's plenty of room in the changin area

The changing facilities are substantial with lots of cubicles, and the boot store is quite impressive with all the latest technology to assess what size boots etc you might need. My only concern here would be that the changing facilities are carpeted; I can imagine it might get a bit smelly after time. Lockers are provided and have a refundable (whoo!) £1 fee.

Getting onto the slope, it’s good to have the Poma suspended from the ceiling so there are no ugly posts to restrict your view on the way up. The exit from the lift is nice and easy with lots of room for beginners to slow down and turn to avoid crashing out.

There doesn’t seem to be a great amount of room at the top of the slope to hang around which is probably a good thing, this is mainly due to a control room of some kind that sits right in the middle of the slope at the top.

The main run down was nice and wide – the slope itself has a nice open feeling, not enclosed or claustrophobic at all. As you would imagine it is steeper at the top but there is a generous incline all the way down and you can really get some speed up or get some nice long turns in.

The pictures on the wall really help with the lighting; it makes the snow a lot easier to see and it’s also nice to imagine you really are in the mountains.

The main slope

The snow was in good condition and as usual it was slightly choppier down the sides and maybe a little icy down the middle.

There wasn’t anything out to play with on the slope, with it not being officially open yet, but from speaking to the staff we found out that they do plan to have some toys out on the slope at all times. A couple of examples were found at the bottom under the balcony and there is already an impressive selection of rails and boxes shaping up. We are also told that kickers will be looked into once they have a bit more snow.

The nursery slopes looked great, there are two side by side but during quieter times, one is used for the Tubing. Again, both are wide and generously proportioned and are serviced by ‘magic carpet’ lifts making the learning experience all the more friendly.

Freestyle park nights are going to be on Saturdays and staff are aiming to have various activities going on, mini competitions and shout outs for the best tricks etc. The first freestyle night should be this Saturday November 17.

The beginner's area

The guys we spoke to were pretty excited about the scene being created up at Chill Factore and are keen to hear any ideas from people visiting the slope.

Currently they don’t have any plans for camps etc mostly due to the fact that it is such a new venture but as I mention above, they are more than open to ideas.

Overall, we were really impressed with the offerings of Chill Factore – the attention to detail is fantastic and the feeling is definitely more Alpine Village than Bowling Alley.

It’s going to be really nice to watch the development of this place and hopefully get to see some great events happening up there soon.

For more information on the Chill Factor visit www.chillfactore.com

Let us know if you visit the slope and post your comments in the forum.