Chill Factore

It’s been open a couple of years now. I live 15 mins away & don’t understand why I haven’t been before.
I booked a snowboarding taster session to see what it was like. £36 quite expensive but it’s real powered snow !
I arrived with my friend at the changing rooms they give you all you need warm trousers & a coat. Just make sure you bring thick gloves (ski gloves) or you can buy there for a few quid.
Danny came out to greet us, nice guy and took us about on the beginner slope (10 per group)
He quickly showed us how to strap into the board & showed us some techniques how to move when one foot is strapped in. For some reason me being a complete weakling, I couldn’t lift the board with my foot very easily. So as we hopped up the beginner slope I became a liability oops!
Danny was really nice & showed me what to do. I eventually got to slide down with immense fear !
I remembered skiing when I was younger in school with no fear doing jumps & stuff. Why is it when I hit 30, fear crippled me?!
I enjoyed the session my ankles & legs hurt during the session & after. Danny said it we because I was using muscles I’m not used to.
Recommend the session but if you would think you might be a Liability like me go for the private one.
I’m not giving up though !
Chill Factore is a great place, ski & snowboarding shops, a skiing Travel agent & even a Nandos ! I’m sold on that.
A viewing area upstairs by rock climbing if you want to watch your family & friends on the main slope with a bar too
Definitely worth a try! My friend told me if you sign up to their newsletter they send out cheaper prices for lift passes. Enjoy!

Great facility spoilt by a very poor attitude to customers. Phoned 3 times and phone was left out to ring. Turned up at the venue as couldn’t get through only to be told we couldn’t get on the slope without paying for tuition for our children first (not explicit on the chill factore website). No tuition slots available meant disappointment for the kids. Emailed customer services to tell of experience and no response. What a shame to treat families this way.

I’ve gotta say that I do really enjoy making a visit to Chill Factor, even if the reality is usually far from the excitement of really being up a big mountain with the wind whistling through your hair as you fly down the pistes!
There’s a pretty decent Alpine village here with shops and bars (nothing spectacular but the Wetherspoons and Nandos will keep hunger at bay) and there’s a really cool surf/​ski shop selling all sorts of cool things, even if pretty expensive.
The actual slope is fairly decent, but would be much more enjoyable if you were some sort of billionaire and could afford one in you back garden without a queue as every time I go it’s ski for 60 seconds, queue to go back up for 10 mins and repeat!
Early mornings and late nights are supposedly quietist so I think I could do with getting here at these times much more often.

Two of my nephews received a ‘Ski Fun Taster’ session as a Christmas present and as one of them was under 10, needed an accompanying adult. Uncle got the short straw.
They advise you to arrive in plenty of time to sort out your ski boots and get your skis fitted, so once we’d checked in at the reception desk we were instructed to head over to the equipment hire place and everything was arranged efficiently. There are lockers to keep your belongings (bring a pound coin with you).
The rest of the adults in our group promptly headed to the upper level to get a decent view of the slope (i.e. get a drink at the bar /​prep the camera phones so they could video us falling over).
There were 10 of us, of all ages, in the session with one instructor who first spent some time teaching everyone about the different parts of the skis and other basics.
Then it was on to the training slope — it’s only a slight gradient and not on the main slope so you won’t need to worry about other skiers whizzing past you or have to get on any drag lifts.
For the rest of the session, the instructor gave us a few different basic movements to do whilst we slowly skied down one-​by-​one, allowing everyone to get used to balancing with two planks of fibre glass under your feet :)
The boys loved it, even though one of them was rather hesitant at first and the other continually fell over as we had to side step up the slope with our skis on.
As it was only a Taster session, it was obviously very basic to introduce complete newbies to skiing. I’ve got a feeling they’ll both be wanting Beginners lessons after this!
Tip: Pricing is cheaper at Off-​Peak times (up to 6pm on weekdays). Peak times are after 6pm on weekdays, all weekends, Bank Holidays and selected school holidays.

We went in here to have a nosy around as my partner had never been before.
When we got in there, pretty much the first thing I noticed was nandos! so of course, we had to go and eat there! Fantastic service as always and no huge queue to wait in! Which was an added bonus!
After eating we went to have a look at the ski slope so we went up to the viewing gallery and through the bar to a little balcony, the cold hits you as soon as you open the bar doors and you automatically feel like your on a real ski slope which is pretty awesome if you ask me!
There were staff everywhere so it gives you a safe feeling that they are always there keeping you safe!
Will definitely be going to join in on some of the activity soon! (Once I’ve bought some gloves and dug out my winter coat and woollies of course!

Brilliant place to have a bit of fun on the snow since we rarely see any in the UK. Snowboard/​Toboggan/​Ski or Tube down the large hill. Prices are reasonable and is definitely an alternative way to spend the day/​night with a large group of friends or with family. Absolutely freezing in the hill area itself, as expected, so wrap up warm before you come here. Definitely worth the trek to it!

This is great if you ski or board. It’s as close a thing you can get to real snow with a decent slope other than being in a ski resort. It’s basically a huge slope with artificial snow and lots of turns, jumps etc for all levels. As a beginnings they also have lots of classes which are reasonably priced for skiing. As well as the slopes they have a hire shop incase you don’t have the gear and they also have lots of ski shops and a costa and a weatherspoons for afterwards

This place is absolutely fantastic! I have driven past it many times and as I am not an outdoor pursuits kind of girl, I never considered trying my talents on its slopes. Last month though, my generous cousin Adrian treated his wife, Rachel and I, to a few days skiing in the French Alps and I panicked. Until then I had never heard of salopettes, ski boots were a mystery and I could not understand anybody who would prefer an Alpine village to a beach holiday. Always willing to try something once, I eagerly accepted my treat and then began the training which would turn me into a Winter Olympian (in two weeks). The Chill Factore was my training ground and I was its uncoordinated student.
I decided on the two day beginners course which cost £150 and I was assured this would take me up to a «level 3». This gave me 6 hours of tuition and even though I was advised by more seasoned skiers to have private lessons, I am really glad I didn’t. It was fun to join a group of 10 absolute beginners like me on the 40metre beginners slopes and as we learned to walk and snow plough in our skis, we could also see skiers weaving in and out, slalom style, on the 180metre slope next door. Our instructor Jeff was hysterical and he cracked so many jokes that we all forgot about being nervous and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. These lessons really prepared me for the real deal in France and although I might not be world class yet (or ever), I can see myself on the red runs next time.

Rather than Manchester, do you really wish that you lived in the French Alps in some wooden chalet and could just go skiing all the time? If you feel frustrated all the time by the fact that Manchester doesn’t have any mountains and apart from this winter not enough snow, then Chill Factore is probably a bit of a godsend.
Chill Factore boasts a huge indoor ski slope with real snow and everything! True, it’s not really like the real thing in that you’re indoors but the snow is real as anything and it’s a great place to come and keep your skiing skills up to scratch.

I mentioned this place to one person at work, and suddenly five of us were booked in for the next day. I was a little bit cautious, as although I’m a competent skier, I was quite out of practise and my companions were Germans who’d being skiing since the age of 2! We chose an off-​peak session, and there was a special offer on at the time — I think it cost us £18 each for ski hire and 2 hours on the slopes… I mean, slope.
Of course this slope is no comparison to the Alps or the Rockies. But it is so much better than a dry ski slope. Believe me, I came back home with plenty of speckled bruises when I foolishly participated in snowboard lessons on one. I also prefer it to Tamworth Snow Dome and the indoor slope near Leeds due to the fact that the slope is in good condition with very little ice, the lifts were only stopped a few times in the 2 hours we were there, and there is a separate lift for beginners meaning that us pros don’t have to suffer each time a rookie stacks it!
The staff were much more vigilant than the chilled out ski bums at resorts and were quick to stop one of my colleagues when he attempted the small jump without a helmet (you can borrow them for free).
If you’re a competent skier who is going to keep moving and not spend your session on your posterior then I don’t think it’s necessary to rent or even bring skiwear. I wore some cargo trousers, a fleece and a pair of woolly gloves and I managed to stay warm in there.
Two hours on the slope was enough for me, but I’ll definitely be revisiting this place, and like Alexandra S, I’ll be trying to organise a taster lesson for the boyf too!

Whilst this isn’t exactly like taking a trip to the mountains, it certainly does a good job at recreating a genuine slope and is a great way to practice in between getting to the real thing.
The pass is around £20 for an hour and a half which, although sounds expensive, is a hell of a lot cheaper than taking a trip to the alps and deciding you don’t like skiing at all. Lessons are pretty reasonable at £60 for an hour and a half, and can be even cheaper if you buy a membership. In fact with a membership you’ll get a discount of 30% across the board.
Sometimes it can get a little crowded in here and you’ll have trouble navigating the slope to avoid hitting skiers and snowboarders alike. This is just part and parcel of the centre being very popular and in a good location, but if you can get to the dome during the week, it’s a lot more relaxed. There are other activities here like tubing and rock climbing making this dome a haven for kids and a great alternative to hanging out in malls or the streets.

The Chill Factore is Manchester’s very own Alps, or mini mini mini Alps. Chill Factore is home to the UK’s longest, and the world’s widest, real snow indoor ski slope, which is 180 metres long and 100 metres wide at the bottom. This place lets you experience skiing or snowboarding without leaving the country.
I have been skiing now since the age of three and after an hour and a half on the slope I felt a little frustrated at going up and down one slope. That said though Chill Factore was great fun and provided me with a great refresher before I hopefully get the chance to go on a skiing holiday shortly. I am still spending time convincing my other half that skiing is probably one of the best things he will ever do in his life… he remains sceptical (and a little scared me thinks!). However I will soon be organising a trip to Chill Factore so he can have a taster of the best sport ever invented. The Chill Factore is perfect for beginners and there are qualified ski/​snowboard instructors to provide those important first lessons to those who wish to take them up. A word of warning — this place is fairly cheap if you have skied before, however if you have never skied before Chill Factore will only allow you on the slope if you have a 6 hours ski lessons on the slope which is very costly for those who just want a little fun with friends.

I have ski friends in Manchester and when I go and visit them, we usually aim to spend some time on the piste. Whatever time of year, Chill Factore offers fun on real snow — we go to ski but there is also a luge track, tubing and a snow play area on offer.
Chill Factore is located just off junction 10 of the M60,. Yup, the Trafford Centre turnoff so be aware that there can be some big traffic jams if you’re aiming to get to the Chill Factore for a certain start time. You’ll also need to factor in some time to change and to get kitted out with boots and skis. Parking can be tight but we’ve usually found somewhere to park eventually.
There is a lovely big changing area with lots of lockers. The staff are quite efficient at getting you the necessary equipment and also making sure that your bindings are set at the right DIN settings for your height, weight and ski ability.
Access to the slopes is controlled with a swipecard giving access to the button lifts on either side of the main slope.
There is one main wide slope — they sometimes build little little jumps and even the odd rail but it’s certainly roomier than the Snowdome in Tamworth. Hard to accurately compare the distance of the slopes as Tamworth has a 90 degree bend halfway down its slope but Chill Factore feels a little longer. The other nice thing is that there is a separate area for lessons and the main slope is just for recreational skiing.
In the same building, there are retail shops specialising in sporting activities as well as a choice of eating options, from juice bars to sit down restaurants.
Chill Factore is certainly the best indoor ski dome I’ve experienced in the UK.

Quite an amazing place — worth going just for a nosy at the ski slope through the glass! Nice little cafes and shops around. Children really enjoyed the tubing (it was a child’s party) and the party food was the usual pizza/​chips/​ice cream

Well what an amazing place the Chill Factor e is, I had a fantastic time! The building is very visually striking, in fact you find yourself staring at it as you drive over the M60 bridge, which could be dangerous. I agree with what people say about the signage, there isn’t any, but if you are traveling off the motorway and most people are you would have to be blind to miss it! The slope is long, I think I’m right in saying it’s the longest in the U. K for now. I was disappointed to find that they only have jumps, rails and boxes out for 3 hours a week. Come on guys the slope is more than big enough for everyone so get at least one kicker running full time! Off the slopes there are a few really good shops which have all the latest in ski and board tech. I would definitely recommend this place.

First of all it’s got a bloody silly name. I think the consensus is that it should be called the Chill Factory but the odd e on the end, and it’s jaunty angle in the logo makes it seem like it could be pronounced another way.
Signposting is poor, and on a Tomtom the postcode sends you to a little industrial estate the wrong side of the building. Considering the significance of this place then they could have payed to get tourist signposting in place.
Car parking is good, and there are a number of related shops on site such as a Snow + Rock, Dare 2 B store, and an cycling shop.
Queuing to pay and get skis can be a trial. They have a small number of cashiers on, and if they are attempting to guide someone through the options and book lessons then you can be waiting a long time.
Once you are on the slope it’s good fun, and you can’t really complain about the price when you look at the engineering and cooling needed for such a place. The ski lifts seemed to be very good at stopping regularly.
It’s a bit annoying that ski school people get priority access to the lift, and it doesn’t seem to be checked in anyway.
All in all, good fun, but not sure how it would compare to others.

I booked two ski lessons as a late Christmas present for my husband, one morning and one afternoon. The drawback was that we had two different instructors — one for both sessions would have made much more sense. I don’t know if you could specify that.
However, both lads were young and enthusiastic, and it was useful to have such individual tuition just before we went on our annual ski holiday. Those having lessons get priority access to the button lift, although it isn’t very clear and we did feel as though we were pushing in.
The changing rooms were clean and warm, staff helpful and friendly, hired equipment was easy to access and all new and shiny — although that won’t last!
The lessons were expensive, but skiing is not a cheap hobby and it did help prepare us for our hols. We enjoyed it enough to be going back with our teenage boys in April.
Just as a footnote, I have generally heard that they operate a strict policy on attendance and time keeping — which can be challenging as the traffic in that area is often unpredictable. So long as you know that’s their policy, anyone booking in advance needs to be mindful of it. Another option is to book when you arrive, although there is a risk that it may already be fully booked.
Generally a good place and an extra string in Manchester’s bow — a more flexible booking policy might earn more friends and loyalty than the current system.

I went tubing here and on the luge. We were a bit worried when we arrived that it was only for children but soon found out it was brilliant fun for adults as well. I am 23 and had a brilliant time.
Tubing is where you get in a rubber ring, like a water one, and go down the smaller slopes in it. You can hold on to your friends’ ring or go down by yourself. If you ask nicely they will push you off and spin you down! You go down and then up again at the end on the snow.
All the staff were really friendly and we got some special ski boots as you go in as everyone does. Gloves are compulsory and can be hired. They also gave us helmets to wear.
We also went on the luge, which is a like a waterslide but is made of ice. You get a foam mat with handles to go down on and just sit on it. Again they push you if you ask. You go down really fast and if you lie down even faster. It feels really fun having the wind in your hair and whizzing down.
There is an alpine village where you can have a drink although I didnt have time to go in.
There is loads and loads of shops and bars to go to in the complex although many of them weren’t open.
It cost us £12 each for an hour and we booked for 9pm. There weren’t many people there.
My one bit of advice is to wear as many socks as possible! My feet were FREEZING! Also take a change of clothes for after driving home with a wet bum was not nice.
It was nice and warm in the changing rooms which was good.
I’m not sure if I would do the tubing again — it was brilliant fun though. I’m definitely going to go back for snowboarding lessons though. You could see people having them while you were there.