New South Downs venue the perfect location to get your snowsports fix

But in an industrial unit in Small Dole Moving Mountains gives visitors a chance to experience skiing and snowboarding without the travel.

Planning permission was approved for the centre in February 2019 with the venue in Mackley Industrial Estate opening its doors a year later.

Senior reporter Sam Dixon-French went down to find out more.

From the moment you step in the door Moving Mountains transports you away from Sussex and into the alps.

Co-owner and chief instructor Quill Roberts welcomed me into the wooden chalet and his son Louis fitted my up for my ski boots.

We had a chat where Quill determined my skill level – rather limited because I’d not skied in a decade – before heading towards the slopes.

The indoor slope at Moving Mountains can best be described as a huge treadmill which can be elevated to different angles.

With an astro turf surface the slope can run at different speeds simulating everything from a green to a black run and is only one of three in the country.

Quill began by getting me comfortable getting in and out of the skis before I began to work on my snow plough – a basic way of slowing down while skiing.

I started off using a bar for support before Quill coached me to balance on my own and begin to turn left and right.

The lesson was split into three ten minute sections meaning I had plenty of time on the slope and regular breaks.

As a learner, one of the key benefits was being able to hear your instructor’s coaching cues which makes it much easier to implement them on the fly.

Quill and the team’s enthusiasm for skiing is infectious and I left the session grinning from ear to ear having improved hugely.

Moving Mountains offers a great way to level up your skiing quickly as the treadmill style slope offers much more skiing time compared to a traditional dry slope.

Quill told me the instructors thrive on seeing people improve and can work with everyone from novices to experts.

He said the centre also caters to nervous skiers and he enjoys building his students’ confidence as they progress on the slopes.

Quill added that instructors use simple teaching cues and break the techniques down into manageable steps to help their learners advance.

Group sessions as well as one on ones are available giving customers the opportunity to learn on their own or with others and Moving Mountains has an onsite cafe perfect for refuelling after a tiring lesson.

For more about Moving Mountains see https://www.movingmountains.ski/