Review – Chill Factore Manchester

Chill Factore is an indoor ski and snow resort next to the Trafford centre Manchester. Having great memories of the fun we had at Ski Dubai the lure of the snow park at Chill Factore during our visit to Manchester was too difficult to ignore.

This is our review of the Chill Factore Manchester.

As you drive across the bridge on the M60 on the way to the Trafford Park it is very difficult to miss the massive building which dominates the skyline that houses Chill Factore.  Chill Factore offers a huge range of snow activities including skiing, tobogganing, snowboarding and snow play in their snow park. With a huge 180m long real snow slope, it’s the longest indoor ski slope in the UK.

As you walk through the doors of Chill Factore you are transported into an alpine themed village street with authentic wood and stone finishes. As we walked past the restaurants, shops and cafes it’s surprising just how big the venue is.

When we arrived at the ticket desk we caught our first glimpse of the snow through the giant windows that the public can use to look at what’s happening inside Chill Factore.

As recommended, we arrived 30 minutes before our activity time which allowed us time to collect our snow jackets, trousers, boots and helmets. The hire of the boots and helmets are included in the ticket price, and you can hire the snow jackets and trousers at a cost of £8.00 per person. We brought warm winter gloves and socks with us, but you can purchase these from the shops in the alpine village.

In the changing village there were lots of lockers available costing £1.00 which was refundable.  Once we were all kitted out we were ready for the snow.

As you walk through the main entrance into the snow of the Chill Factore you can instantly feel the change in temperature, as it is a chilly -3 degrees.  The feeling of real snow beneath your feet was just amazing.

The snow park contains four great activities to keep children and adults entertained including tubing runs, sledge racing, a bobsleigh/luge run where you travel quickly down the course plus a fantastic snow luge ride for children aged 6 – 16. For children aged 4 and under there was the brilliant ‘Mini Moose Land’ which is a snow themed adventure zone.

As well as the Snow Park there was the huge ski slope for snowboarding and skiing together with the beginner slope for ski lessons. A mountain-scape mural runs the entire length of the main slope adding to the atmosphere of the snow dome.

After an initial safety demonstration by the Chill Factore guide the girls were eager to get into the snow park.

We collected our huge rubber rings for the Downhill Donuts and jumped on the conveyor belt which took us to the top of the slope. Once at the start you had the option to race each other down the two bumpy lanes or speed straight down the ice run. The tubing was so much fun and we also discovered that the staff would spin your tube before launching you down the hill making it even more exciting!

The slip and slide luge was like being in the Winter Olympics complete with a huge 60 metre slide constructed from thick ice. As you sit on the mat at the start of the course you are told to keep your hands and legs tucked in before you zoom down the course twisting and turning until you reach the bottom. This was so much fun and my eldest daughter in particular thought it was amazing. For younger children the snow luge next to the slip and slide wasn’t as fast or scary but was perfect for my youngest daughter.

As we visited mid-morning the snow park was quiet so the girls got to experience so many snow activities with little or no queues. As well as the activities the girls had so much fun making snowballs and creating beautiful snow angels.

Another favourite of ours was the Sledge ‘O’ Mania activity, where we could race each other down the hillside. The girls loved it, their faces beaming with excitement after each run before running back to the top of the hill, ready to race each other down the slope again.

Although we were not skiing we were fascinated watching people expertly ski down the 180 metre slope. As we are planning a ski holiday later this year we are looking forward to taking ski lessons during our next visit.

We spent around two hours in the snow park which was long enough due to the cold temperature, although the girls would have been happy to stay there all day.

After working up an appetite in the snow park we finished of our visit at Pizza Dalla Piste. Our pizza was delicious, the prices were reasonable and the tables offered fantastic views of the slopes.

After lunch we explored the rest of the huge Chill Factore complex. Along with the ski slopes there are lots of places to eat, drink and shop including Nandos, Costa Coffee, Snow and Rock and Crystal Ski and many more.

You could indulge in après ski at a very authentic Swiss ski resort style Lodge Bar complete with a balcony overlooking the slopes. If any members of your party do not wish to enter the snow park the balconies offer a great place to relax where they can watch the rest of the group ski or enjoy the activities.

If you are visiting Manchester and enjoy skiing, snowboarding or playing in the snow then you must visit Chill Factore. It is truly a wonderful place for families that should not be missed.

Location
Chill Factore is conveniently located just off junction 10 on the M60, opposite the Trafford Centre and has plenty of free parking.

For more information please visit the Chill Factore website at http://www.chillfactore.com

We were guests of Chill Factore for the purpose of the review.