 Poster: A snowHead
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Thought I'd try to resurrect this thread for general comments about CFe, so other thread stays on topic of Snowheads meet!
I was at the party last Thursday night - was great fun. A few celebs - Amir Khan, Carl Fogarty, and the usual Corrie and Hollyoaks peeps who turn up at most parties in Manchester! The ski displays were very good - some very impressive kids!
I also taught there most of the weekend. Very busy as you might expect, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, lots of smiling faces! Shops and restaurants appeared to be doing very well - particularly Frederick's Ice Cream which I'm very pleased about, as it's a local family business.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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beanie1, will you continue to teach there even though you've moved to London?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Been trying to ring for the last 3 days always engaged what the f**k is going on 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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rob@rar,
Yes I am going to! I wasn’t planning to at first, but when it opened and I felt the great atmosphere I couldn’t resist! So I’m going to go up there every few weeks and do both days at the weekend to make it worthwhile. And the chance to work at a centre of excellence is a great opportunity for a fairly inexperienced instructor like me, so I couldn’t really pass up on it!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| beanie1 wrote: |
rob@rar,
Yes I am going to! I wasn’t planning to at first, but when it opened and I felt the great atmosphere I couldn’t resist! So I’m going to go up there every few weeks and do both days at the weekend to make it worthwhile. And the chance to work at a centre of excellence is a great opportunity for a fairly inexperienced instructor like me, so I couldn’t really pass up on it! |
Sounds like a good plan, and you're right about it being good experience for a new instructor. I'm hoping that Hemel will have a similar setup as a centre of excellence when it converts into a snowdome.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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rob@rar,
I think that's the plan - CFe will be the northern centre of excellence, and Hemel the southern. Maybe I'll get a job there once it's done!
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| Quote: |
the chance to work at a centre of excellence is a great opportunity for a fairly inexperienced instructor like me
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You must have impressed someone  as I found out today that the initial selection was extremely rigourous.
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veeeight,
Yes they were quite selective (they could afford to be as had so many people apply) but I think decisions were made on skiing abillity / technical understanding and level of enthusiasm for teaching - they didn't just pick the most experienced instructors. Guess they also want a variety of aged peopls, men and women.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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In truth,is factor e worth the extra 45 mins drive rathre then just going to Cas' Xscape?
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Renry,
I would give it a go, then make up your own mind.
Put it this way - I'm driving up there from London to teach, rather than get a job closer to home.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Anyone been to chill factor e as a "paying member of the public"?
Was planning on going this Friday, but have been put off by the comments of a friend who has been.
Among his comments were:
"queues at the lifts were ridiculous because of the barcode things you have to use. Pretty soon the slope was almost empty and everyone was queuing at the lifts"
"gangs of hooded scallies walk round the locker ares looking for stuff to steal"
Doesn't sound great!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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magic_hat,
I admit I am somewhat biased, but I’d respond to your friend’s points as follows:
Lift pass – unfortunately the elastic for these didn’t arrive in time meaning people keep them in their pocket, and getting them out slows the queue. Once they are on elastic it should speed up the queues. As it has just opened it will inevitably be very busy at first, but I expect it will quieten down.
I’ve not personally seen any evidence of hooded scallies, certainly not enough of a presence to spoil the atmosphere (which is superb) in any way. Theft is always a risk in a public place such as this, however there are lockable lockers – that return your money!! A vehicle recognition system is being installed at the roundabout (hopefully this week), so every car driving in and out will be photographed and available to the police. Since this system was installed at the Trafford Centre car crime has reduced dramtically.
I wouldn’t let your friend’s negative comments put you off giving it a go – the overwhelming response from guests has been positive.
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beanie1, Ta for this response... this is just what i was looking for.
I was hoping the problem at the lifts was related to some teething problem - didn't know about the elastic, this makes sense.
The scallies thing didn't worry me as much (as i would use a locker and/or take valuables on the piste with me) but I was a bit concerned about how much it would detract from the experience if there were big gangs of them marauding around inside!
I have Friday aftenoon off anyway so may well just pop down and give it a whirl!
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You know it makes sense.
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Having a nightmare with their website.... am i being special or does the price list just give peak and off peak prices without any mention of what times peak and off peak actually are?
Also, does anyone know what the premium skis are like that you can try out for a fiver extra? Can you pick and choose?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
gangs of hooded scallies walk round the locker ares
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Did they mean snowboarders
Seriously, we went last Weds evening ( 2 boarders, 1 skier). You have to pay and go through a turnstile to get into the locker area. But Mr m reckoned you could squeeze in through the exit one when I've just asked him but I doubt this is happening.
The queues at the lifts will be better once the elastic is in place!!!!!
It's worth a go, nice facility. But I would go in the day during the week if you can as it will be quieter. We noticed quite a queue to get in at 8pm. It was fairly quiet at 6.15 when we got there but it wasn't "officially" open then.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Wed 21-11-07 15:50; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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Off peak is up to 6pm weekdays, including school holidays 
Peak 6pm till 11pm, weekends and Bank Hols.
Sorry don't know about the skis.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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AFAIK the hooded scallies were our valued guests and clients - I taught two groups of them yesterday.........
Also yesterday, the gap inbetween the turnstile and wall was reduced, so it would be difficult for people to squeeze past into the locker area without a ticket.
The elastic should make things flow much smoother at the lift turnstiles, when they arrive.
The lockers take a GBP£1.00 - which is returned to you, unlike some other indoor slopes!
It is busy at the moment, due to the new novelty, and the normal pre-season rush.
Premium/Prestige Skis to test/hire for GBP£5.00 include X-Wing Tornado, Jewel Origins, Aero X, Instinct Rush, Foil, The Dumont, Temptress and Equipe 3V. The length choice may be limited though. There are also 7 premium snoboards to try for GBP£5.00
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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veeeight,
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AFAIK the hooded scallies were our valued guests and clients
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Also yesterday, the gap inbetween the turnstile and wall was reduced, so it would be difficult for people to squeeze past into the locker area without a ticket.
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That sounds better.
veeeight or beanie1 - What in your humble opinion is the best time to go to find it at it's quietest? I am thinking 10.15am on a Monday.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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veeeight,
Were you there on Sat or Sun? I was talking to a few other instructors, but I have no idea who you really are!!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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minx,
sounds like a good time to me!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We, 'G/F and me' are going on Saturday it will be Jess's first time on the snow and the brave lass has opt-ed for a 6hr lesson in one day, I hope she likes it as we are off to the slopes in Jan.
She is on the slopes from 11 till 6 and I have booked 3 hrs from 3 till 6 to have a play as well beanie1, do you know if we will be able to ski together for the last hour or so? Is she alowed to break from the tuition group given sufficiant confidance/ability?
Also was thinkning of buying a pair of boots during the morning was looking at Snow and Rocks web site and saw some I liked, if you excuse the pun can I just rock up and exspect a boot fitter to be there on a Saturday or should I phone ahead, has anyone dealt with this outlet?
I did have a bit of hassle getting through to book the time but you have to give them a break being the first day they were open. Really looking forward to it now.
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beanie1, I'm afraid I'm not a weekend warrior, I tend to do Tues/Thurs.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| beanie1 wrote: |
rob@rar,
Yes I am going to! I wasn’t planning to at first, but when it opened and I felt the great atmosphere I couldn’t resist! So I’m going to go up there every few weeks and do both days at the weekend to make it worthwhile. And the chance to work at a centre of excellence is a great opportunity for a fairly inexperienced instructor like me, so I couldn’t really pass up on it! |
Sounds like a good plan, and you're right about it being good experience for a new instructor. I'm hoping that Hemel will have a similar setup as a centre of excellence when it converts into a snowdome. |
That is certainly the plan.
Hemel & Chill FactorE will for sure shake up Xscape into maybe offering a decent experience for their customers, rather than the over-priced rubbish they offer now.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Xscape....over-priced rubbish
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what is the price comparison for say peak time recreational skiing between xscape and chill factor
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| Spyderman wrote: |
Xscape - over-priced rubbish they offer now. |
Aye, but at XScape you can ski in the morning or £25 for three hours including coffee. £25 for 3 hours versus £17 for 1.... XScape still have chill factor well beaten on price.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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magic_hat, I went to Xscape for the 3 hour session. 1 slope was full of furniture and unprotected at that, and the other was good for 45 mins, then they barriered it off half way down so that 5 people could go tobogganing.
So I stand by 'over-priced rubbish'.
I can't wait until Hemel is built and I never have to see the inside of MK again.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Spyderman
Fair enough - have been to the Fresh Trax session 4 or 5 times and it has always been great. A couple of Augusts ago there was only about 4 of us on the slope! Never had any problems with barriered off slopes or anything - that is crap, i agree with you!
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Lots of people obviously feel MK is worth going to, otherwise it wouldn't so often be packed to the rafters around ski season and sometimes off season also. I usually have a great time and I'm there more often than I should be! Having said that competition is always welcome and nowhere is or ever will be perfect.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Spyderman wrote: |
Hemel & Chill FactorE will for sure shake up Xscape into maybe offering a decent experience for their customers, rather than the over-priced rubbish they offer now. |
Has Xscape changed? I only went for the 1st time almost a year ago, so can't really tell of course. It certainly seems to me as if they are more interested in attracting free-style skiers and boarders than novices and I wonder if this is something new. 2 of the friends I go skiing with made a special journey up for the weekend to meet another of the group and go to Cas, just to "knock the rust off" a little. They rang and booked, being as it was a Saturday, but hoped it might be quiet-ish due to Chillfactor-e opening. They were horrified to get there and discover the "Refrigerator Open" competition happening, the advertising for which says "There will be spot prizes throughout the night to reward anything from braveness to stupidity!" My friends, having travelled so far, did go on, but only stayed on the slope less than 1 hour. They were pretty annoyed at NOT having been told about this event when they booked, and felt that it wasn't really appropriate to have the slope open to general recreational skiers at the same time. Had they known they'd have booked for another date.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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NewSkier, Easy answer. Money.
They get away with it at MK because there is no competition, people want to ski on snow. Are they in for a shock.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Why can't they make one a decent length?
There are plenty of hills around ( the great orm as an example). Build a sort of canopy over it top to bottom, put all the "gubbins" on the inside to create a base. Hey presto - licence to print money.
It seems simple in my head................. now if I only had a few bob
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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minx, Councils don't like them, so planning permission is a problem. Cost of Land. The Hemel one is being built on an existing hill and it's still going to cost £20,000,000.
You could build a snowdome over any hill, but it has to be commercially viable, with regard to projected income, set against build and running costs. Holland & Dubai have done it, but land and build costs are a lot cheaper.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Spyderman, There goes my dream. I'd just like one that takes more than 3 seconds to get down.
Guess I'll have to keep going to the real thing
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Spyderman, Why is it costing that much?
They already have the land, so that isn't part of it, and if there is already a hill present, they don't have to build something stable with a supporting structure.
Surely it is basically a case of a big shed, with a refigeration system, snow guns and ski lifts.
A few million I can understand, but 20 seems excessive.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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There are plenty of people that want to build a large one, and have the finance to do so. That isn't the problem.
The problem is councils, and NIMBYs.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The plans for the one in Norfolk (?) in an old quarry seem plenty good enough but it's the planning permission which is holding it back, not the finance.
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veeeight, We just had a delay at Hemel, because some NIMBY in a house near the slope said that He'd seen a Badger, so We had 3 days with experts crawling all over the place. I've been there 17 years and never seen one and they didn't find one either.
alex_heney, Chill was in excess of 30m, MK was 67m. The costs at Hemel went up from the original 12m, because now the whole of the lower part of the Hill is to be dug out to form an underground car park, the building now has to have a Grass Roof(a council condition) plus the Hill was formed from the spoils of the M1 widening together with a tip, many years ago, so a lot of work on the buildings foundations has to be done.
rob@rar, I think the Suffolk one although it would be fantastic if built, is quite frankly in the wrong location for the investment costs. Road links are poor and there are no major population centres close by.
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newbie45,
The aim by the end of the 6 hours is for people to be able to use the main slope from half way up the poma, and be able to ski safely and in control so they can use the slope recreationally without being in a lesson. I guess if your G/F is up to this level by hour 5 she may be able to ski the last hour with you – but then she’ll miss an hour of the lesson she’s paid for! Why not come back again another day to ski together, and she can practice what she’s learnt? She’ll be pretty tired by the end of the day too.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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skimottaret,
Chill Factor e have deliberately pitched their peak time prices competitively to Xscape. So for pretty much the same price (£22 per session as opposed to I think £21 at Xscape) you get an hour and a half at CFe, or an hour at Xscape.
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Every slope incld Hemel and Chill will want to attract slopestyle and freestyle users no matter their best intentions - in the end there's a pot of money there that they'll have to try to tap. The question is will they be able to do it without compromising the open slope users as much as can happen at MK? I haven't been there but from what I've seen and heard though somewhat wider there will inevitably be some though possibly less compromise at Chill. I think the same will apply at Hemel.
I must say I think the problem is largely brought on by our titchy slopes in this country. *Chill at 180m and MK at 170m are the longest. Tamw, Braeh and Castlef are all around 150m, Hemel planned for 140m. These are wall to wall lengths! not skiable lengths. If our slopes were longer perhaps there wouldn't be such a reliance on slopestyle and freestyle custom.
*figures from scuk site
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FAQ
