World's first 'snow sphereing' experience opens at Trafford's Chill Factore

By James McLaughlin

The eagerly anticipated 'Snow Monster' has surfaced at Trafford's Chill Factore in the world's first snow sphereing ride 'Avalanche'.

Faster than Usain Bolt, with more force than an Olympic bobsleigh and as heavy as a small polar bear.

A recent 'Top Secret' campaign has been running about a mystery snow monster arriving and yesterday, I was one of the first 100 riders to take on Avalanche and live to tell the tale.

Described by Chill Factore's Chief Executive Morwenna Angove as 'The ultimate experience for exhilaration enthusiasts', Avalanche brings the new concept of snow sphereing to life.

Ms Angove said: “We've managed to keep Avalanche under wraps for months while we have been late night testing and perfecting the ride.”

“Now it is unveiled, Avalanche will have definitely been worth the wait,” she added.

In simple terms, 'snow sphereing' is extreme zorbing down a snow covered slope in minus two temperatures. Sound fun? It is.

The Alpine Village next to The Trafford Centre has housed a range of extreme sports and activities including snowboarding and skiing since its opening in 2007.

Upon arrival, I was promptly whisked into a safety briefing which gave me a disconcerting number of opportunities to back out.

As if that wasn't enough, there was the obligatory 'I hope your affairs are in order' disclaimer to sign before going face to face with the monster.

Having survived their best attempts to put me off, I was kitted out in a rather fetching 'flight suit' before being led up to the summit by the Flight Crew.

I say fetching, my group and I looked a few proton packs short of a very bad Ghostbusters reunion.

After scaling the 45m high, 180m long slope, it was time to make a less than dignified entry into the sphere.

Conjuring up my schoolboy dreams of being a super-hero I made my best attempt at a Superman dive through the small hole.

The ride takes two willing and arguably masochistic participants at a time in a ball the same size as an elephant.

Having been strapped to the side of the ball opposite my sphere concubine there was one last check that I was still raring to go.

A barely audible 'Yes' was whimpered among many Hail Marys before what can only be described as a both surreal and highly disorienting descent.

The sphere is specially designed to withstand sub-zero temperatures and reaches speeds of up to 30mph.

Combined with forces of 4G and near pitch black conditions, the ball completed approximately 10 revolutions before settling at the end.

Confounded by the ball settling with myself and my rolling partner hanging upside down for several minutes, my exit was less triumphant survivor, more Bambi on ice.

Avalanche has taken much investment and trials including a 50ft ramp to catch the ball at the end of its run.

It will now open to the public on Tuesday with prices starting at £40 for a two hour session.

For more information, pictures and videos, visit http://www.chillfactore.com/snow-fun/avalanche or here.