 Poster: A snowHead
|
I have been to the money winning scheme called chillfactore twice now. If its possible to happen it gets worse. No organisation, no-one with relevent information. Its rubbish. This place will make money unfortunately as there are few lesuire facilites in the uk so people will go and pay their money come what may.
Who ever the owners are (and Royal seems close the business!) they can rest assured that no matter how bad this place is the money will roll in..
I pity anyone trying to organise a kids party at this place, mums take your kids somewhere with less queues and stress.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
We just popped down there for some lunch. Cars parked on all the approaching roads and security people trying to sort the queues out.
No tables free due to a childrens party in the "pancake" cafe, although there were empty spaces so more tables could have been put there, in "Chillies" (still no name above the door) we were told there was an HOUR wait for what amounts to bar snacks, and Wetherspoons were only serving drinks as it was a "staff training day". I see there are now notices stuck on the walls telling people you can't take drinks, ice creams or food upstairs, so if you buy a drink from the juice bar, an icecream from Fredericks or a sandwich, you had better finish it before you wander upstairs to the viewing windows! If you have your own ski gear, and want to eat after you've skied, you have to walk back to wherever you manged to park the car, and put the gear in it, because even with all that empty space, there is no where to store any skis once you leave the locker room (or in fact anywhere within the ski area if you bring more than one set to use). Some ski racks inside the slope area, and lockable ones dotted about the village would solve this problem.
You Raang?, We noticed the announcement board said the slope was running at full capacity, yet the pomas were running with only 2 people on them at any one time, and no queues to get on at all, so I wonder why it was at capacity. Not just problems in the early evening then...!
Reading the feed back on here, and our own experiences having visited the place 3 times now since the "grand opening" - I feel they could have avoided all these teething problems with some forward planning and simple common sense.
Come on you lot at Chillfactore - pull your finger out - you're letting Manchester down! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
oh dear... i had hoped my bad experience was a one off, weve booked 25 kids in for a sat afternoon coming up in December, i just hope they arent going to be disappointed.
It sounds like the designers may have got their maths wrong if they cant make enough snow or it gets too warm with a few people in (even in chilli manchester), maybe they should have left the roof off to keep it cooler ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
i noticed this has been added to the front page of their website.....
""We are currently fully booked for the weekend of the 24th & 25th November, please telephone in advance to check slope availability to avoid any disappointment. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.""
hope no one turns up without checking the website first ??
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Come on guys, cut them a bit of slack! This is the most exciting place to open in Manchester in a long time, and is hugely ambitious - there are inevitably going to be teething problems. When I was teaching there last weekend although very busy the vast majority of people seemed to be having a great time - particularly the kids parties! Royal, I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. It's unfortunate they're having a few technical problems with the slope, but I'm sure they will get it to the right level soon.
sharon1953, lots of the comments you make have also been noted by those in charge and they will be finding solutions where possible. They've spent the past couple of years planning, but sometimes you just don't know how things will work until you see it in practice, and then changes will be made where needed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pebbles, welcome to snowHeads 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| You Raang? wrote: |
| 1. The car park was destined to be woefully inadequete. Bad planning on either chill factore's or the council's. It's baffling that there is a large empty muddy field next door and therefore plenty of space for car parking, but somebody just couldn't be a*sed to use it. |
Our Stalinist government determines how many car parking spaces there should be for any new development. It's all laid out in this document. There are fine NuLab/Newspeak words in the preamble about "promoting more sustainable transport choices" which in practice means restricting car parking spaces and making the proles struggle to get wherever as best they might. Annex D gives the actual limits: one parking space for every 22 m2 (237 sq ft) of floor space for a development such as a snowdome.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The thing is, this is not a new concept. There are several in the uk and europe. Why is it hugely ambitious - it's slightly bigger than xscape.
Silly errors should not happen.
Why do businesses not share information. Do people not ask others or is everyone too scared of the competition to share do's and don'ts. I personally feel it's ridiculous that they don't. Even if info won't be freely given out people should use similar facilities to get as much info as poss, talk to the customers. Usually the customer has the best insight and can help more than anyone else.
It is fantastic to have such a great facility in the North West but why oh why is it silly little errors that always let places down.
Communication to the paying public is crucial. I hope they make improvements, particularly on the website as this is the most dire aspect of the Chillfactore.
I'm still tempted to book a flight to this place
http://www.allrounder.de/skihalle/?L=1
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
minx, Looks fantastic, but might as well go for the real thing if you've gone that far  laundryman, so how come the Asda/Morrison's/JJB Soccer Dome car parks are bigger; where people spend less time? Doesn't really make sense. How are people meant to get to an "out of town" developement without cars? The success of the Trafford Centre is the huge area of free car parking, which certainly affected Manchester town centre - so how do the powers that be make the distinction?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
laundryman interesting, I didn't realise that they had such strict rules. I assume those quidelines must be quite recent though ... after all the Traf Centre's been there almost 10 years, so must have been planned in the early/mid 90s when things were different?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You Raang?, you're probably right - I'm not an expert. We bought an office building 2.5 years ago and all the new ones on the market had inadequate parking, which I discovered was due to regulation. Ended up with a big Queen Anne town house - much nicer anyway - they knew to leave plenty of space at the back for carriages!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
sharon1953, as above, I'm not an expert, but I see in that document there are rules for retail parks and stadia (Annex D). Parking at the Madejski in Reading is a nightmare (and it's miles away from the station)!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
sharon1953, I think the main difference is they were all built a number of years ago. In the current climate the car is evil!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Unforeseen problems? This is hardly the first project of its kind. I'm sure there are several people whose expert opinion has been ignored, I met two of them. Let's face it, corners have been cut, I just hope it's not too late to fix the problems. It's a huge project for sure, full of tricky decisions. Can't help thinking that something like the tv campaign budget might have been better spent on improving snow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
i hope they get things sorted as i have been looking forward to it for a long long time, i notice their website now says they are nearly always fully booked now and to ring and make a reservation first.
Hopefully things will have calmed down in a few weeks/months?
There seems to be a lot of staff working there at the moment i just hope they have enough people able to use the slope to pay for all the wages?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
With regards to the lift chaos, why are the turnstiles so close to the bottom of the lifts? When I went, there were several empty buttons for every full one. The reason:- people are not getting their pass ready in time and there is not the through flow that there should be. Solution. 1. have two turnstiles on each lift and move them back to give more room between them and the lift. People then have time to put the pass away and get ready for the lift. I have never used a lift on a piste where the tunrnstile was so close to the front. 2. For some reason I was given an electric pass that I put in my glove, I just held it to the turnstile and it let me through. Those with barcoded cards had to fiddle about finding them and then inserting into a slot whilst wearing thick gloves. I know which was easier and quicker - the electric one. One for the management think tank?? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Royal, Me too, we've watched every brick, girder and panel go up, and read every press release and news item we could, which is perhaps why we now feel a little let down, the hype was better than the reality. But we can only hope things do get better as time goes on - Shame they can't add another 100 mtrs and go over the road on to waste land facing the Trafford Centre, now that would be worth sacrificing the car parks for, in fact I'd walk there - in my ski boots - with my skis!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
MartinH, Admittedly there are a few issues cropping up that in practice don't work quite as well as they may have done in theory (eg turnstiles at bottom of lifts) but where do you feel corners have been cut?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| minx wrote: |
The thing is, this is not a new concept. There are several in the uk and europe. Why is it hugely ambitious - it's slightly bigger than xscape.
Silly errors should not happen.
Why do businesses not share information. Do people not ask others or is everyone too scared of the competition to share do's and don'ts. I personally feel it's ridiculous that they don't. Even if info won't be freely given out people should use similar facilities to get as much info as poss, talk to the customers. Usually the customer has the best insight and can help more than anyone else.
It is fantastic to have such a great facility in the North West but why oh why is it silly little errors that always let places down.
Communication to the paying public is crucial. I hope they make improvements, particularly on the website as this is the most dire aspect of the Chillfactore.
I'm still tempted to book a flight to this place
http://www.allrounder.de/skihalle/?L=1 |
I am sure many people would be happy to take public transport to the trafford centre area if it was more accesible. Living north of Manchester it has been sad to see money spent on a lovely new tram stop, which even has lights all over it as if it is some odd monument to wasted money. The tram line got scrapped and the stop was still built no doubt one of those odd things where once the money had been accessed from the government it could only be spent! whether it was a waste or not! It would take me three hours to get public transport to chillfactore it takes only 25 minutes in the car.
Hitting motorists with a big stick does not get them jumping on public transport, laying good public transport on is what will work, I am dreading the parking problems the next time I go to soccerdome or chillfactore.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Still can't understand why planning was never given to Sheffield to turn their slope into a real snow place. That would have knocked spots off all the artificial structures out there. real shame.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
beanie1, I'm really repeating what I heard and don't have any details. Evidently climate control/snow making are in a very delicate balance, or possibly simply not coping. When operators close the slope so soon after a massive buildup of hype, there must be something wrong with the design.
To be honest, I enjoy challenging conditions, I grew up skiing over ice and rocks. I'm just reluctant to turn up with family in case we're turned away.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MartinH, Be interested to hear where that came from? As far as I'm aware the snow making system uses the best technology available. The problems have been caused as the snow was not at full depth when they opened, made worse when it was pushed around to create jumps etc for the opening display and first freestyle night, and the prolonged position of slope numbers being at capacity (i.e much busier more of the time than they will be in the future). Shouldn't be a problem once they're operating at optimum depth.
Pebbles, Couldn't agree more! Unfortunately you have to work with what you're permitted...
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
I went up with a group of friends on saturday night. ( North Staffs Ski Club, Kidsgrove).
Booked the tickets in advance a week ago for 8-93:0pm. when we decided to collect the tickets early at 7:30 to save queing etc, we were told that the slope was closing at 9pm, due to technical issues from a large group of students on wednesday.
We were offered 50% discount for next session and could go on as soon as we were ready. Seemed fine to me. Problem was it took us half an hour to get through the ski tech's to setup our skis. we all had our own boots which should have made it easier.
The first probelm was that super machine that read your palm and told you what size boots you wear etc, with a little help from a couple of questions it asked you, age, ski level etc.
In was shocked that this machine suggested that my din's should be set to 8.5-------------what-------- vision of broken knee comes to mind. Ive done the salomon tech courses, Im a ASSI and spent many an hour setting up skis etc, so I knew what I should have expected. I normally set my DIN to 6, based upon the usual salomon criteria.
The technician was a robot and didnt have the knowledge or brain to overide what the machine told him. I asked him to set mine to 6 and he made me sign the back of the ticket to acknowledge this was my request. Im not saying they are all like this, because the others seem to be much better at the job.
Anyway after finally getting on we really enjoyed it, especially right down the sides and everyone seemed to keep away from the best snow.
Afterwards when we collected our vouchers, had to collectaftewards as it would have been 8:30 before we got on else, I spoke to the lad behind the tiill who initially dealt with us and expressed my concern for them, of the knowledge of some members of staff.
To their credit they actually gave us 50% of the fee back as well and said that they would send the technical manager to see me as he was busy at present.
half an hour later Adam arrived to chat in the bar upstairs, his first words being " I know you, I collected you from Grenoble in April to go to Serre Chev"
Give him credit, I was on an hotel inspection with a friend of mine on behalf of our club. We had a good chat and Adam showed me around and introduced me to all his tech's.
Not wanted to embaress the individual,I told him who it was later. ( if you get to read this Adam, please bear in mind a wasnt driving and it was after 11pm at this time, so the beer may have had some influence of the quality of speech flowing).
Generally speaking CFe came up with the goods, as far as skiing and excellent customer service. Im sure the new staff will get better with time, but in the time it took the tech inquestion to set up my skis, I could have done half a dozen people.
Would I go back, definately, but may take my own skis next time.
Simon
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
stokey1964, welcome to snowHeads
endoman, the Sheffield proposal was too political. It wasn't as straight forward as just building a snowdome.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks Elizabeth
first post but a regular reader
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| Pebbles wrote: |
I am sure many people would be happy to take public transport to the trafford centre area if it was more accesible. |
Definitely. There's a train service from my village to Manchester airport (South Transpennine Express) so I assumed it'd be dead easy to visit the new place by rail.
The route appears to be:
1. Train to Manchester Picadilly
2. Walk to tram.
3. Tram to Stretford
4. Bus to Trafford Centre.
Total just over 3 hrs.
By car: Just over 100 miles, estimated journey time 1.5 to 2hrs and no lugging about of ski boots etc!
Why is there not a bus from either Manchester Picadilly or the Airport railway station, direct?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| stokey1964 wrote: |
| Problem was it took us half an hour to get through the ski tech's to setup our skis. we all had our own boots which should have made it easier. The first probelm was that super machine that read your palm and told you what size boots you wear etc, with a little help from a couple of questions it asked you, age, ski level etc. I was shocked that this machine suggested that my din's should be set to 8.5-------------what-------- vision of broken knee comes to mind. Ive done the salomon tech courses, Im a ASSI and spent many an hour setting up skis etc, so I knew what I should have expected. I normally set my DIN to 6, based upon the usual salomon criteria. The technician was a robot and didnt have the knowledge or brain to overide what the machine told him. I asked him to set mine to 6 and he made me sign the back of the ticket to acknowledge this was my request. |
This sounds worrying to me. Xscape on my very first beginner lesson set my Din to 6.5, telling me they'd reduced it a bit from what it ought to be for my weight, as I was a novice! Experts in both resorts I visited were shocked I'd been advised to have them set so high, and both recommended 4.0 and the skis NEVER came off at that setting, not even when I fell. On going to Cas or Tamworth I now tell them "4 please" and they have never queried it, but it sounds like I might have an argument on my hands at CFe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
This happened to me on my first ever ski trip - to Verbier!
The ski tech in the rental shop set my bindings to 9. I later discovered they should be 6.5.
I wrenched my knee badly on the first day, although I was lucky in that it was strained in such a way that I could still ski, but was limping around when I tried to walk. It was about three months and a couple of physio sessions before it was back to normal.
An experienced skier in the chalet then set it down to 6.0, and I didn;t have any problems the rest of the week (apart from the limping around).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
alex_heney, that is criminal, were you asked you experience level. If you said you were a beginner and they set your bindings to 9 you should publish the name of the ski shop here... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
alex_heney, The Muppet probably read the Din settings upside down. A lucky escape. I only ski mine on 8 and I'm 90kg & 1.83m.
I would have gone into the shop and lamped the guy.
Name & shame time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| alex_heney wrote: |
| The ski tech in the rental shop set my bindings to 9. I later discovered they should be 6.5. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Went last night, me and a friend had 90mins rec, and enjoyed it. Wans't so keen on the lift passes though, they should have used some sort of swipe fob, rather than card barcodes. The snow was better than I expected in all honesty - it wasn't perfect but it was much better than the last time I was at Tamworth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
skimottaret, I was asked my experience level, yes.
I can't remember the name of the shop now (This was 11 years ago), but it was the standard one the chalet hosts with Skiworld directed us to. It was on the central "square" near the Medran ski lifts.
Spyderman, I probbly should have gone back and complained, but I really didn't know any better at the time.
I was 37 and all I knew about skiing was from watching it on Ski Sunday. I'd been watching that, when my wife asked if I'd like a ski trip for a chistmas/birthday present  So I booked last minute for whatever I could find - which happened to be sharing a room with a stranger in a Skiworld chalet in Verbier for £200.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The lift pass system is meant to use the type that you keep in a pocket and wave at the barrier reader to get through. But they've had problems getting them to reliably work (don't know why) the staff get this type and not the paper barcode jobs, but they are not terribly reliable (mind you neither are the paper ones). They will be working on it hard though. I've met the head IT bloke and he has had the mother of all baptisms of fire!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
skir67, we were told on the pre-opening week (when the plastic hands free cards were used, and worked fine) that wrist bands were going to be in operation when it opened to the public? Wonder what happened to those?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
The wrist bands are still around and they still plan to use them I believe, I got one once and it didn't work at all unfortunately
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Spyderman wrote: |
alex_heney, The Muppet probably read the Din settings upside down. A lucky escape. I only ski mine on 8 and I'm 90kg & 1.83m.
I would have gone into the shop and lamped the guy.
Name & shame time. |
I wonder how much binding mfrs differ in their recommendations. (This has probably been covered somewhere here.)
I'm similar dimensions, usually get hired gear set to 6, I'd rather come out than twist something. Especially on a little artificial slope, you're hardly likely to lose a ski.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
