Avalanche

Dating back to 1988, Avalanche is a bobsled rollercoaster and at the time of writing it is the only bobsled rollercoaster in the country. Indeed in the year of its opening, Blackpool Pleasure Beach decided to sponsor the GB Bobsleigh team at the Winter Olympics and they supported the team by donating a sizeable percentage of Avalanche ticket sales.

This ride was opened on June 22nd, 1988 and consists of three trains (only two operating on the ride at any one time) which each consist of seven cars with two passengers in each, giving a total of 14 riders in each train. The ride itself is themed around a bobsled track and the station has been erected to look just like an Alpine lodge, the platform adorned with illustrations and posters of various regions in Switzerland and pictures of Bobsled teams from across Europe. The attraction was opened by Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards and speakers on the platform and around the ride boom out traditional Swiss music.

The ride gets underway with an ascent up the lift hill, then at the top it is released onto a downhill track onto which it isn’t physically attached and follows numerous bobsled style curves before picking up speed and curving back up after the lowest of the curves. The ride then flattens out and a couple of brake runs take place before the train arrives at the station. The total length of the ride is 1,160ft and the trains reach a maximum speed of around 50mph.

Our Thrill Verdict

Avalanche has been around since 1988 but there are no signs that the visiting public are growing tired of this attraction. Indeed there are always lengthy queues to get on here at peak times and this is testament to the continued popularity of the ride.

In many respects this is one of the most exciting rides at the park and this is saying a lot given the competition it has here. This attraction is now 34 years old and still going strong, however when compared to Icon and Infusion, it is starting to look slightly dated. Perhaps a freshen up would help.

That said, this is still a very exciting ride and all things considered, we’re going to give it a Thrill Rating of 4.2