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Ski and snowboarding

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Original poster

chill factore

8 replies

greybacksgirl · 15/07/2011 11:56

Has anyone been to the chill factore wirth little ones? do they let parents take kids up the button lifts with them?
If not, and the kids can ski, is it ok to teach the kids to use the button lifts when we get there?
and how old do you think kids have to be to use the button lifts on their own?
(my kids can ski, aged 4-6, but have never used a button lift, but have leant on me going up rope tows)

OP posts:

crispyseaweed · 27/07/2011 20:16

My Ds was 4 yra old when he went on a button lift on his won and skiied down with me watching....He is 10 yrs now and a fabulous skier...
btw... what do you mean...'chill factore'?????? is that an indoor place or where??

greygirl · 29/07/2011 14:49

chillfactore is the indoor slope near manchester.
they have button lifts.
trouble is they always want to encourage you to pay for lessons, and i am wondering if they will use my children's inexperience with button lifts as a reason for them to have skiing lessons (they can ski, just not used button lifts before).

LIZS · 29/07/2011 14:55

Not been there but at the Hemel Hempstead one you do need to be able to use a button lift to free ski and they will stop you skiing if it is evident you can't. tbh a ski lesson is not much more than an hour's pass anyway so worth it to get them familiar with it and perhaps correct technique.

wheresthepimms · 12/08/2011 09:55

They won't allow them on if they can't do the lift on their own. We have 4DCs who all ski the older 3 (10,8,7) can do the lift but the youngest (4) can't as she is not heavy enough to hold the spring down, was the same when we were in Scotland in Feb, she is just so light it picks her up and dumps her on the floor. Apparently they won't let them use the lift without an instructor if they can't obviously do it by themselves as Milton Keynes had a child (when it first opened) not get off at the top then fell and hurt themselves.

The other thing to mention about chill factor is they only piste bash first thing in the morning on the main slope so it gets cut up pretty quick, are local ski instructor has told us not to take the kids if it is after 10am as the slope is so rutted they will loose confidence.

If you are thinking of going google lift pass codes for chill factor and you should get some pretty decent money off codes for when you book

greygirl · 12/08/2011 13:24

thank you for the advice.
we currently are members at tamworth (we are almost equidistant from the two slopes) so it looks like we will continue to go there.
the lessons are way more expensive at chillfactore - almost double an hours skiing, whereas at tam they are almost the same.
we will have to learn next winter on a real mountain - that'll be a fun afternoon!

thatsenough · 06/09/2011 08:37

I know this is a bit old now, but just wanted to add that one lesson should be enough to teach the button lift if they are old enough to understand the concept.

DS1 could use the chillfactore button confidently at 4 and DS2 (now 4) is only a few weeks from moving on to the main slope.

We spend most Saturday morning there either free skiing or with the children in lessons and I've seen 3 year olds use the lift without any problems.

whenIgetto3 · 06/09/2011 10:38

thatsenough do you find it gets cut up a lot on the main slope? My DH took DS2 there for a special daddy and me treat and although they went on a Wed morning at 7:30 he said by the end of their 2 hours it was getting rutted. He also said that he thought the idea of minimum slope standard was a joke as my DS got taken out by an elderly lady who was totally out of control and skied into him whilst he was on the lift, causing the lift to stop, then had a go at DH because she was asking if DS was OK but wanted to speak to his mummy not some random man who was saying he was fine DH said she looked when he said mummy was at home with other 3DCs and he was his daddy, but never apologised !

Also can I book a private lesson for DD4 to learn only the button lift, she is scared of them as when she skied last Feb she wasn't heavy enough for them and they made her fall over as they lifted her into the air

OneMoreMum · 20/09/2011 14:14

I would have thought you can book a private lesson for whatever you want but I imagine it would be expensive, maybe ask about an intermediate group lesson that would definitely include using the main slope and button lift?

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