 Poster: A snowHead
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So I've recently moved to Manchester (!) and having just retrieved my skis and gear from storage, I think I need to check out the local indoor action.
I work full time Monday – Friday, and am sometimes fairly late getting back into the centre (currently commuting by train). How busy is it late evenings during the week and weekends? How good is the surface at that time?
And does anyone have any general advice about the place? E.g. any good offers for passes I should look out for? Anything odd they get a bit annoyed about?
And are there any dry slopes nearby I should look at that are accessible by public transport? (I’m not currently planning on getting a car, just a bike – not great for carrying ski stuff!)
Thanks all 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There are monthly passes available over the summer that bring the price down a bit but I only tend to go to CFe if I'm helping out at a race, I just find it too expensive.
Nearest dryslope would be Rossendale but I think you would struggle to get there by public transport.
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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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Get on their email list or have a good look around on the website – there are usually some deals available. There is an offers page here: http://www.chillfactore.com/offers/lift-pass-offers/ Last time I went it was to test some new equipment that we'd bought, a bank holiday Monday evening (Easter, probably) and there was hardly anyone there.
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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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Hi fixx. The snow does tend to be a bit dodgy late in the day and to be honest I try and avoid it then. They are in the process of stripping the snow (half a slope at a time) which should make a big difference as it has become very patchy even first thing but I can't see it helping too much in the evenings. There are early morning starts at 7.30 on a Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. If Monday and Wednesday are not possible and a few people do ski for an hour or so then head off to work, most Saturday mornings are reasonably quiet for the first hour unless there is a race on.
As for deals, the monthly pass is very good value; currently £60 for unlimited skiing when a 2 hour Saturday ticket is £31. If you become a member at £100 per annum, you get 30% reduction on your lift tickets which is worth it if you intend to ski a fair amount; 5 monthly passes covers it pretty much. In addition they occasionally offer further reductions if you have booked the previous month's pass e.g. £50 for June if you bought May's. With membership that's £35 for unlimited use ; great value by any standards.
Me and my wife ski there about 3 times a week and the early sessions are populated by really friendly people who respect one another's skiing and boarding and give each other plenty of room when needed.
If there's anything else I can help with let me know.
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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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I was there doing a day course on Saturday - didn't find it busy at all due to the time of year. Get to September onwards, when everyone's brushing off the cobwebs in readiness for their hols, and it can be extremely busy. More time in the queue for the lift than on the slope.
Instructor reckoned the monthly passes will go down even further than £60 in the summer months.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@fixx, There is a dry slope in Runcorn http://runcornski.weebly.com/ (nearest station is Runcorn East, which IIRC is about 10 mins in a taxi or 15mins on a bus from the slope). There are direct trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Runcorn East station and the journey takes about 40mins.
You can go to Runcorn main station but the train from Piccadilly to Runcorn mainline takes about and hour and a half (you have to go to Liverpool and out again) and a taxi is again around 10mins from the station but 25mins by bus.
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@fixx, I think you could get to Ski Rossendale by public transport. My in-laws live there so I know the area fairly well. There is a bus, it's the X43 Witch Way bus, goes right from Manchester centre to Rawtenstall, you could then walk up to the slope from the town in 10-15 mins or maybe there is then another local bus which goes past the slope, or taxis are cheap there.
Re. Chill Factore, it's all been covered above. Lots of very cheap deal lift pass deals over the summer months. Avoid Tues evenings and Sunday mornings as it's race club so only half slope available and fairly rutted afterwards. Check website for details for other events and closures, for example competitions, or freestyle nights when the features are out, or moguls days etc. Also the slope scrape, replacing the snow, currently on half the slope this week.
You need a £1 for the lockers, refundable. Book in advance so you don't have to queue at the desk. Can't think of anything else!
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| sarah wrote: |
Re. Chill Factore .. Avoid Tues evenings and Sunday mornings as it's race club so only half slope available and fairly rutted afterwards. |
Sunday morning is 7-9am, so I suspect you are unlikely to be on the slope then. But agreed the slope can be more interesting after they've been down a few times.
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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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Thanks all - I've signed up to the mailing list now and I'll see what shows up.
I'm not looking to go too regularly, I'm more interested in the odd fun trip when I've a spare evening over the summer, or to check the legs still know what to do. I did also promise a friend I'd do beginner boarding lessons with her, eeek! But it'll be a laugh. And I do like moguls - I'll have to keep an eye out for those evenings.
I will definitely have a look at the dry slopes too - I'd love to have a go on them and see what they expose in my skiing!
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I did the beginner boarding the other week, thinking about hanging up my skis, hilarious day...lot of falling over (my tail bone still hurts!) but well worth the half price offer I paid.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@fixx,
You can get a bus from Manchester city centre to Rawtenstall, ( the witch way ) ( yes that is the name think it is the X43 but please check ) then about 2-3 min in a taxi or a 10 min walk up a steep hill to ski Rossendale. More buses from Bury and the metro goes from city centre to Bury.
If you need more info re Rossendale and getting there let me know I should be starting back there soon. my knees are recovering nicely at the moment.
Rossendale are not open on Monday or in the mornings weekday other than the ladies morning. But in the evening 3-6 Tues to Thurs it is £5 an hour and on Friday the time is 3-9pm with the option of coaching for 90 min for a total of £10 ( but please check these are still on going prices and offers ).
Runcorn is pretty short and though not been there for a very long time the matt was never that great so check the condition first.
Also there is a slope at Halifax and another at Pendle Hill.
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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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I went to Chill Factore last night, having booked a session on a half price deal a few weeks ago. Some rambling thoughts below...!
It was a bit of a pain to get to (I'm the other side of the city) though mostly as it was rush hour after work and there were road works, I suspect. The journey back by bus was really easy and convenient for me - direct route, later in the evening.
I was also very unimpressed at the time it took to get a pair of skis to use. I had my own boots, know my BSL, preferred ski length and DIN etc - but there was only one worker available trying to get a pretty big queue of people fitted with boots and skis, and by the time I got to the front of the queue he insisted i still had to jump on a machine to check my height etc (despite having one ski boot on, and one off for him to check the binding fit!). I told him to ignore the ticket (I had to sign it as a waiver to say I'd requested different settings), set the DIN at my request, and we agreed on a longer pair of skis than the machine said, as I said I didn't want soft beginner skis, and he said all he could do was give me a long pair that had been used less! They were only 170cm, and I'm 172cm, so nothing crazy. But of course almost completely flat (no rocker etc), and I got the distinct impression they normally put people on really short skis for them.
So - for convenience I'd prefer to have my own skis in future, but I don't want to haul them across Manc, and I really don't want to trash them on the expanses of bare mesh coming through around the drag lifts, hmmmm.
Anyway, the skis were usable, the crowds weren't too bad, and it really was nice to get a few runs in - I could have stayed for another couple of hours easily, I wasn't getting bored, and it did take a while to start putting the right technique together, especially on different skis. Half the slope was taken up with a freestyle section though, which I wasn't expecting, and I'd have liked the full width available. But great fun to watch while on the drag lift! There were some seriously talented kids coming down, as well as some really big spills. First time I've seen an evac sledge used indoors... 
Overall, good fun if with a few annoyances - I'd go again if I knew there were no crowds, and I had nothing better to do. I won't be rushing back though... (waiting for Bash buttons instead and some actual mountains  )
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