Manchester - Chill Factor e

A snowHead

does anyone know if tomorrow night(thursday) will be busy? don't know an exact time yet, any time(s) to specifically avoid?

A snowHead

beanie1, not sure whether you are aware but when you follow those links and click on the update details link at the top JP's personal details are accessed Puzzled

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

beanie1, "activities" link in their email doesn't work! JP, I must be getting yours, I get the email duplicated 3 times, yet I only registered once! We are booked in for Monday @ 11 am, no mention of being there an hour early though. I wouldn't want to arrive an hour early to get into the MEN arena for something special, never mind the blooming Chill Factore!

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hedley, My god you're right...beanie1, you need to get those links removed Puzzled

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

looks like there is alot of work to be done not only on the slope!!!!

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I've PM a mod

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I've removed the links as JP's details were showing. If you can repost the info (without the address details!), then that'd be good. I must say I'm not too impressed with the security of their emails.

After all it is free

Elizabeth B, thanks - speedy work.

Elizabeth B,

Have I been overexposed. Just tried to send a PM to Beanie1 but it won't go. Has my facility been disabled?

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JP, you could see your name, address, phone no, email address etc... I PM'd Beanie1 before the posts appeared on this thread, but looks like Elizabeth B has removed the links now Smile

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

philw,

Thanks.

snow reports

Everyone is having a moan about the same things, so it is time the management took notice.

The uphill to the Poma Puzzled

I know someone who works in S&R and they were asked to use the slope during testing. He told them about this 3 weeks before the place opened rolling eyes

.. Whoever planned this did not account for snow being there. The only way this can be solved is to lower the base pylon, surely this could be done with minimum disruption, if it was planned and they had all the revised steelwork in place. The engineers could probably carry out this work during the night.

Ski racks: just put them in, if they did not think that people would take there own gear and use those unwaxed rental Salomon's instead, they were wrong. So now they know this put the racks in, it will stop the carpet Puzzled

in the changing area getting pi$$ed wet through, but thats another point.

Now my biggest moan : the lift pass situation, this is a brand new leisure facility, which is far better IMHO than any other indoor slope in the UK. So why with a clean slate and a mega budget did they come up with this barcode thingy. The turnstiles are even skidata, so it is not like they were not aware of the technology available. Quite simple, the top management who write the cheques need to swallow there pride and admit they have cocked up. Get skidata back in and go hands free, you pay £2 deposit for the card and when your session is over you take the card back to a kiosk and they give you your £2 back. Or for more regular users you keep the card and you could book your slope time online and recharge your pass accordingly. This would also need some input on the website, which again considering the budget is shocking.

Tables and chairs on the balcony would be a nice touch to add to the 'Alpine experience' Razz

Oh god, thanks Elizabeth B, for removing those links!! You'd think that link would be password protected... I shall have strong words!!

You know it makes sense.

Kel, It seems they are not listening. We have been banging on about the same things since day one, and the only change I can see is the overflow car park. If I was one of the shop owners paying rent, I’d be asking for a reduction until they got all the niggles sorted out. The knock on affect of any problems will be that people are likely to return less often, and will not stay as long when they do. Seating dotted around the place will encourage people to linger; people that linger spend more, very simple marketing strategy. Having no ski racks inside is just plain stupid.

As for the uphill to the poma, they could just raise the level of the snow in the whole area at the bottom, as long as they level it, so that you don't end up going up hill on the last 20 mtrs of the run, I can't see the problem, they shift snow about all time in the resorts to make the approaches level. They have the machinery and the manpower, so why oh why don’t they just sort it?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Just returned from a ski, 10am start. sharon1953, Can't comment on the left hand Poma as I used the right one all the time but there didn't seem to be undue delays on it today. No very busy for the first hour and averaged 3.5 minutes per run, in fact got so many runs in that I finished early 'cause I was tired. (Old man you see).

Would like to see online booking and electric tags for the slope. And ski racks!!!!!!!!!!

A snowHead

JP, The main problem was on the right hand poma, as there is no room to side step on this one, (as it's meant for experienced skiers) if you don't have twin tips skis or blades, you won't notice a problem. The tired feeling I know well Sad

A snowHead

sharon1953, In that case they have flattened it out, I did not have a problem and I have twin tips. Very Happy

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

JP, good, we're there on Monday and I don't want to do any hill climbing on skis!

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There should now (hopefully) be no personal details connected to this link, so if you didn't see the newsletter you can read it here:

Chill Factor e Newsletter

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beanie1, interesting to hear that they hired a CEO to allow the MD to roll out further Chill factors across teh UK.

Any gossip on where they might locate any new centres?

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skimottaret, am bound by client confidentiality I'm afraid... Twisted Evil

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sharon1953, I agree with you that something needs to be done about the uphill onto the poma, however to level out the bottom area will take an enormous amount of snow which would take quite a long period to produce. Snow produced each night would I guess need to be spread over the whole area so that the flat area was gradually built up higher. However this would shorten the actual skiing slope length and there are windows built into the snow box athe bottom for people to look through, the snow would come up over these and obscure part of the view (quite apart from putting lots of pressure on the windows which were not designed for this). Adjustment of the lift pylon maybe possible, but thye would have to take into account the angle that the rope would have when reaching the next pylon, this may put unneccessary strain on the rope at that point which would cause the rope to wear out a whole lot sooner and may cause problems with the safety systems on the pylons too.

So I don't think there is any simple solution. A question I have is why the choice of lift, I'd have thought a detachable poma as opposed to a fixed grip would have been better.

After all it is free

skir67, Well I stood in front of said window(s) yesterday, and thought it through, there is certainly enough depth available to decrease the up hill affect without affecting the windows at all. There would be no loss of slope either, as the levelling off would only need to start at the red cushion barriers. I suspect that there is even enough depth under the window to create a downward slope to the lifts. We are only talking about a slight increase to assist the final path to the poma.

I was almost tempted to pop in there and do it myself with a shovel! They now have an uphill slope back to the exit, (as the track has hollowed out with use) but at least there is enough room to pole your way back!

sharon1953, Certainly it may be possible to decrease the uphill effect, but to get rid of it completely would need some very careful measurement to see if there was enough room, I'm doubtful of this, but I'm going to have a look tommorow. Even so the amount of snow required will be enormous and this would need to extend across the snowplay area over to the entrance of the bottom of the nursery slope so as to not produce further climbing problems for skiers (most returning beginners take there skis off at the end of lessons- so the black matting would suffice for them).

Good luck with the shovel! You'd have to be extremely fit and fast to move that amount of snow. I would also play devils advocate by asking 'if people cannot herring-bone step up a small incline to a lift should they actually be using it'? For those less technically able there is actually enough room to side step (albeit you need to turn on the last bit and use your ski poles behind you for purchase).

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[quote="skir67"]sharon1953, Certainly it may be possible to decrease the uphill effect, but to get rid of it completely would need some very careful measurement

Is That not the point, why was this careful measurement not done during the planning stages NehNeh

and with regards to using a shovel I have seen a medium sized Piste Groomer there, so why not use it Puzzled

. Anway off to ADH tomorrow so I'm not really that concerned Razz

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Would be very interested to hear from novices who have done lessons on the main slope - how did they get on with the lift access, esp if they're doing it without poles to start with?

snow reports

skir67,

1) People in the snow play area are not wearing skis.

2) Teaching area is near the exit/entrance.

3) You can't herringbone twin tips to stop movement if you don’t have enough room, they are designed to go backwards as easily as forwards.

4) You cannot herringbone or side step at any point on the right hand lift, it's a narrow track all the way.

5) You don't use poles with skiboards/snowblades.

6) You have to have both poles in one hand to catch the poma stem - so you can't brace yourself or use them for purchase (or is The Chill Factore incorporating a handicap to make the real thing feel so much easier? Sad

7) The uphill gradient continues right until the button pulls you away - at no point is it level enough to be confident that you will not slide backwards (on twin tips that are now straight underneath you)

If they can get it right in a totally uncontrolled environment in the Alps, why not indoors where you have total control? Puzzled

I don't mind putting my skis on near the slope, I'm not that desperate that I need to have them on the moment my feet touch the white stuff. Just turn the snow machines on as the last person leaves the slope, bash first thing, whole thing could be completed in a week! What makes this even more annoying is that this "failing" was pointed out pre-opening, and in the first week when open to the public. It's NOT NEW Mad

TELL IT LIKE IT IS , WELL SAID SHAZZA... NUFF SAID ON THIS.

After all it is the likes of us that will keep this place going in the long term.

SO THEY NEED TO LISTEN AND TAKE HEED OF ALL THESE COMMENTS.

(my last post on chill e, its boring now) off to ADH Razz

You know it makes sense.

Kel, you lucky s*d, 4 weeks and counting Smile

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Chappers, so you think I just stood there and tried nothing? How can you angle the ski to use the ege if you are in a narrow gap?

A snowHead

To all the vocal complainers on this thread: Why don't you channel your comments/feedback directly to a member of management at the slope in person, as opposed to hoping that by some fluke they will be reading this thread, if you really want some action?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

veeeight, we used the suggestion box, sent emails, also asked to see someone, no one available - couldn't wait around!

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veeeight,

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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sharon1953, Like I said I was just playing devils advocate...... but in answer to some of your points.

1/ No problem for them then, I didn't disagree on that.

2/ Yes... again I didn't disagree on that one, no problem there.

(as regards points 1 and 2 I was merely pointing out the size of the area that would need to be evened out snow-wise - some people will put their skis on and then hit a step to go over unlike yourself)

3/ As someone else said use the edges thats what they are for - I don't see any of the guys doing freestyle night on saturdays having a problem.

4/ yes, but currently its virtually flat so I don't see a problem (plus there are black rubber mats down to aid traction)

5/ you can and some people do. However as they are using so much shorter skis they will have no problem with herring-boning or side stepping.

6/ You don't unless your not skilled enough, I usually have a pole in each hand and have no problem.

7/ twin tips are no different to normal skis in this respect.

Ski resorts get it 'wrong' all the time actually and no-one actually complains because they understand they are in a mountain environment which is constantly changing , this is one of the 'open' skill elements of skiing which we all have to adapt to and is part of the enjoyment.

However chill factore lifties SHOULD be shovelling snow to fill in dips on an on-going basis which would sort out a number of the problems. BTW had a look at snow levels last saturday and I reckon they could do it, and they probably should have sorted this out before opening particularly if it was pointed out to them. Chill factore is a controlled environment so they should take advantage of this and make life easier for everyone.

In fairness to them the left hand lift approach did appear to be less steep than it was the previous week.

Kel, Hope you had a nice time in ADH I worked my first season there so I have a soft spot for it Smile

After all it is free

They have got ski racks up now

woody911,

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I've just found out that it's half term this week, so I called up to se if I could book a taster session for my nephew - he'll be 5 in a few weeks time.

Help!!

Manchester - Chill Factor e

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