Go there:Leonie Corcoran, an experienced skier, was impressed by Manchester's indoor snow resort. It could be just the ticket for restless kids over the midterm break
IF THE THOUGHT of having to entertain the kids over the midterm break is already ringing alarm bells, how about hitting the ski slopes with the family . . . for a day? Fifteen minutes from Manchester Airport - itself only a short flight from Ireland - you'll find an alpine village complete with ski slopes, snow and a low-key apres-ski scene where nonskiers can relax as the children tire themselves out. Possibly the best bit of all this is that the weather won't affect your day out, as it's all indoor.
Chill Factore is home to the UK's longest and the world's widest indoor real-snow ski slope, 180m high and 100m wide. As well as its main slope, Chillfactore - pronounced "chill factory" - has a nursery slope, a luge track and a tubing area.
As the slope is the UK training headquarters for England's alpine skiing team, it has plenty of potential to amuse and exhaust skiers, snowboarders and first-timers. If you have a ski trip planned for later in the season, or are toying with the idea of bringing the kids to the slopes, this could be an ideal way to see how they take to the snow, without worrying about hard falls.
As you enter Chill Factore, wooden features give an alpine feel. Pass the ice-cream parlour and information desk and you can see the slope straight ahead. Though not as impressive as a real, outdoor run, the piste is impressive, and it is definitely an unusual sight to watch skiers kick up powdery snow on their turns within half an hour of leaving an airport.
You can rent almost all the equipment you'll need - skis, boards, boots, jackets and trousers - on the premises; you buy gloves for £3 (€3.85). There are individual cubicles to change in, plus bigger changing areas suitable for families. Bring a £1 coin to use the secure lockers. Then shuffle through the turnstile, skis in hand, to step out and feel the cold air on your face. Whatever tiredness may have kicked in from a few hectic days will be forgotten as you imagine, for a moment at least, that you are in an alpine village that has had an early snowfall.
Head left to the nursery slope to regain your snow feet after a season away from the slopes or, if it is your first time, book an instructor to show you or your family what the snow buzz is all about.
Children's group lessons are available, so adults can enjoy their own time on the slope or watch from the balcony of Chilli's Bar while taking a few photographs of the action.
As well as the nursery slope, there is the main slope with button lifts to the top. Although it is not challenging enough to keep accomplished skiers or boarders busy for a full day, a normal session of 90 minutes flies by.
Promises of "real snow" are hard to fulfil, but the slope has an impressive powdery feel, with the added bonus of not being too hard should you topple at speed. It is a particularly inviting surface for first-timers, and even one 90-minute session will let them get a feel for the slope and, perhaps more importantly, the equipment - one of the most daunting parts of a first-time snow holiday can be getting to grips with the boots, skis and boards before you even hit the slopes. If you have been skiing before and want to try something new, but don't want to waste time on your next trip trying to master a new sport, try a 90-minute session on a snowboard for a change.
For children, old and young, there is also the luge track and tubing area. Tubing involves sitting in an inflated rubber ring, hanging on tight and being spun around at speed before hurtling down the hill until you rebound off rubber padding at the end. It is hard to resist climbing back up the hill for one more go. The luge track is for those who want to sit on a mat and shoot down a 60m winding run.
More advanced lessons are also available, including carving sessions, mogul mastering and freestyle classes. (All lessons need to be booked in advance.)
Beyond the snow, Chill Factore has a 12m climbing wall in its main, warmer area. It caters for all levels and is suitable for children. Groups of three cost £40 (€52) for an hour-long session.
There is also a range of places to relax and eat, including a Nando's, Chilli's Bar, Chiquito Mexican Grill Bar, the Mont Blanc restaurant, Cafe Extreme and a JD Wetherspoon bar.
During midterm it has packages aimed at children, with activity days for eight- to 16-year-olds. The packages range in price from £49 to £129 (€63 to €166). The Taster Activity day is a one-day session on the slopes followed by games. You can learn either skiing or snowboarding, with 50 minutes of instruction, followed by two activities from tubing, luge and climbing. Chill Factore's two-day activity course includes three hours of instruction on each day, in groups of no more than 10 people.
If the kids are still brimming with energy, take a short walk to the Trafford Centre, which has a 20-screen cinema, 60 cafes and bars, a Laser Quest, a bowling alley and a soccer dome with 18 indoor pitches.
• Leonie Corcoran was a guest of Panorama Holidays. Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com) flies to Manchester from Cork and Dublin. Ryanair ((www.ryanair.com) flies from Dublin and Shannon.
Aer Arann (www.aerarann. com) flies from Galway, Kerry, Sligo and Waterford.
How to find it
Chill Factore (Trafford Quays Leisure Village, Trafford Way, Manchester, England, 00-44- 161-7492222, www.chillfactore. com) is next to the Trafford Centre, off junction 10 of the M60 motorway.
How much it costs
A 90-minute lift pass for skiing or snowboarding costs £19 (€24) at peak times or £14 (€18) off peak for children; £24 (€31) peak or £19 (€24) off peak for adults. Family passes are available. Clothing hire is £5 (€6.50) or £3 (€3.85) if booked online. Lesson prices vary; expect to pay £40-£50 (€51-€64), depending on group sizes. A 45-minute session on the luge track or tubing for adults and over-eights costs £12 (€15). Climbing-wall prices range from £10 to £50 (€13 to €64), depending on the size of the group and whether it is made up of adults or children.
Where to eat
Try the spicy piri-piri chicken at Nando's to warm up after a session on the slopes. The Mont Blanc restaurant has views over the slope. For a more casual alternative, Chilli's Bar offers snack food. Chiquito promises Tex-Mex food with a fiesta atmosphere.
Where to go next
Panorama Holidays (www. panoramaholidays.ie) hopes to entice families to book skiing holidays after a trip to Chill Factore. Its offers include free places for the first child on selected holidays booked before October 31st and free lift passes for accompanied children under five at a range of resorts. Panorama says it works with a number of family-friendly resorts that have short transfer times, a range of apres-ski activities, ski schools and kindergartens, and plenty of beginner's slopes and blue runs.
Four of its most popular family resorts are Niederau, in Austria; Soldeu/El Tarter and Arinsal, in Andorra; and Bansko, in Bulgaria. Bansko's family attractions include ski kindergarten for children aged four to six. Children aged seven and over can attend ski school, so parents can take their own lessons, and there are plenty of beginner-friendly slopes and a range of apres-ski activities, including an ice rink, bowling alley and swimming pool.
Niederau, which involves a 90-minute airport transfer, is offering free lift passes for accompanied children under five, nursery slopes at village level and plenty of blue runs, making it suitable for all first-timers.