 Poster: A snowHead
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We had the misfortune of spending 2 hours at the chillfactore today.
Getting boots was a shambles - took 55 minutes.
Half the slope was taken up with a race meaning that only one lift was working. (Quite why they would do this on a busy Sunday i do not know?!)
So many lessons meaning that the one remaining lift was constantly stopping.
We managed 8 runs in 2 hours!
Definately would avoid this place at the weekend!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Tobydom100, It is a good idea to check the Events page on the CFe website to see if there are restrictions on how much of the slope is available.
Most of the entrants in the race were kids, they can't really do it any other time than a weekend.
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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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Kids wake up early. 8am - 10 then let general public at the whole slope?
TBH my one and only CF experience was a similar nightmare only no race just race brats queue jumping on the only lift open with no one stopping them.
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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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@Tobydom100, Next week will be more interesting with many Snowheads descending on the slope. 
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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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Kids wake up early. 8am - 10 then let general public at the whole slope?
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A bit harsh if you have to travel half way across the country just to get there.
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Half the slope was taken up with a race meaning that only one lift was working. (Quite why they would do this on a busy Sunday i do not know?!)
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They pay their fees the same as everyone else. Race entry fees are not cheep.
Mind you I cannot see why you would have to wait 55 minutes just to get boots. That is not acceptable
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, It was a race, not training. They will have been there from 7am - 3pm.
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Frustratingly the slope takes 200 people. When it's split in half they limit it to 100 people, BUT...... that 100 doesn't include lessons and they don't always limit the lessons so you can have and adult and kids lesson running from half way and 1 from the top.
130 people plus any racers (who have every right to be there may I add) going up/down for the odd warm up. Last time I was there the racers kept this to an absolute minimum but in reality you have over 130 people on half the slope. Crazy
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@PaulC1984, Where you been? 
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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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What time was you there? We where there at 0900 and although busy found it pretty acceptable with the ski and boot que approx 10 minutes. 2nd visit in 10 years so was a while to get bearings with ticket machine lay out etc but found the staff generally nice and pleasant. Not the biggest fan of indoor fridges in general but no major complaints today.
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It's not really my fight but my experience was about 10 years ago as I was testing post acl recon. It doesn't seem that mgt has moved on significantly in that time if people still bitching about similar problems on an autumn sunday.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, The usual system when a race is on is that racers use the lift alongside the course and the other is open to the public. I don't think they want non-racers on the lift near the course in case someone crashes into the lift line, there is a bit of a hope that a racer on the lift would be watching what was going on and could jump out of the way.
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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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So why even have the slope open when they have a big race on and lessons on the other side? In what world is 4 runs of a tiny slope per hour acceptable? ( my recollection is I had 6 runs in 1.5 hours before I gave up and then had about a half hour ballache finding someone in enough authority to give a (part) refund - seem to recall I got vouchers in the end which eere never used as I've never been back.
Never had such a crappy experience at Hemel.
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You know it makes sense.
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the main slope is probably shut for most races at hemel
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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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| PaulC1984 wrote: |
Frustratingly the slope takes 200 people. When it's split in half they limit it to 100 people, BUT...... that 100 doesn't include lessons and they don't always limit the lessons so you can have and adult and kids lesson running from half way and 1 from the top.
130 people plus any racers (who have every right to be there may I add) going up/down for the odd warm up. Last time I was there the racers kept this to an absolute minimum but in reality you have over 130 people on half the slope. Crazy |
@PaulC1984 you’ve summed it up perfectly. I’m there on a regular basis, but normally a Friday or Monday. I have experienced exactly the scenario described on several occasions, with lessons running from the top and from the lower step; whilst the slope is reduced to half width. But it’s all about the money.
Having said that, it is good practice for a relative beginner like myself, to get used to busy narrow slopes. One very narrow congested piste on the BB was carnage. It was was when @rcav got injured.
My other big gripe with CFe is where they constantly neglect the top section of the button lifts, to the point where there is sometimes no snow present, just the bare orange matting underneath. One day it was so bad, there was no snow at all on the top of the right hand lift and people were stopping dead in their tracks when they reached the very top, because they were literally on bare plastic. Everyone then stopped using that lift and were queuing for the left hand lift. I pointed the problem out to the lift attendants, who promptly did - nothing. All they seem to ever do is talk to their mates on the radio. I have messaged the CFe twice about this problem, but not surprisingly they have done nothing about it.  Next time it happens I will ask to speak to the duty manager.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Little Martin wrote: |
| the main slope is probably shut for most races at hemel |
Exactly - seems fairer on the paying public
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Only been to 5 fridge sessions in my life - at CFe (Warren Smith 2 day lesson about 5 years ago), the snow was the best of the 3 and the lift fastest once on it but queueing horrendous. WS course was OK but taught me nothing I didnt already know, spent half the allocated time queueing but was good to get on autumn snow. Cas Vegas 2x about 5 years ago - too many idiots skiing and boarding far to fast (for their ability and my comfort) and snow was poor and cut up, best session was late one evening after work, quieter and less hooners but snow was terrible. Hemel - one time after work again (called in about 7pm for 2-3 hours), far too busy and most of slope given over to bumps which seemed a bit crazy given that nobody was on that part most of the evening. Spoke to someone there and they didn't seem interested, said it was bumps night and that was that.
Consequently I don't go any more, and decided it was a waste of time (and money), all as bad as each other - I'd rather ride my MTB!
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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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Sympathies to the OP. Never experienced it as bad as that, but I always avoided anything that could seem like a busy time, weekend daytimes especially. Even then, queues at CF lifts could easily become very annoying. (Never rented stuff there, but what was described is unacceptable.)
Sadly, as others have said, it seems a common probem (amongst many potential problems) at indoor domes. I was at Braehead on Saturday. Nowhere near as busy as CF, no queues at the 1 poma running, but still the potential for annoyance if it had been busier because of a lot of learner boarders learning to get on and fall off a drag lift and a lot of very young children struggling with it also (and no staff lift helper sometimes). These people and others, plus a lot of lessons ski and board, were then on the slope with their usual slow wide drills, lack of attention, unpredictable moves etc (which I can't always blame them for, as learners) - whilst the slope was effectively only useable all the way down in its icier middle because on one side there was a huge freestyle jump mound blocking the bottom part and a pipe/rail blocking the other upper, and on the other there was a fenced-off bit blocking the mid and hence bottom parts because of some apparent (if non-visible) icicles on the roof. Caused a huge funnel pinch point effect which could have been pretty dangerous in terms of collisions (and meant a lot of aborted moves and quick avoidances up the side of the jump mound), and meant that trying to get any form of decent corridor down or any speed to practice certain things wasn't possible (if you can get speed on that horrid non-snow sugar that they have).
Hey ho: it's something you have to expect of thse places.
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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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A Junior season pass, which is I think valid at all the northern club ski fields, is half the price of 1 hour of indoor skiing. 
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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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@Peter S, Was the snow deep enough last weekend at any of the northern club ski fields to be able to set a race course ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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No. We stopped the interclub racing in the mid 1980s, perhaps a bit earlier. Not really enough interest.
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I knew about the racing, and so specifically avoided CFe this weekend. So I went at 10am this morning instead. Not many on the slope, and it seems snowboarders are still in bed at that time of the morning. Not much in the way of lessons on the main slope either. I might even be there at 10am tomorrow too.
However, we are now heading into peak season - the 'Terrain challenges' will likely be ending and weekends will be busy with lessons.
As for next weekend, there is a Banked Slalom event taking up half the slope on Saturday, and then a bunch of crazy lunatics will be there on Sunday. So definitely worth avoiding (in order to create a path for me to test some skis).
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FAQ
