We may be miles away from fresh powder, but South Wilts Ski Club means we have no excuse not to hit the slopes in style. With a continuously rolling surface and variable speeds, this new state-of-the-art ski simulator ups the ante on the traditional dry ski slope. It’s ideal for everyone, from newbies who want to find their ski legs, to powder hounds keen to hone their parallel turns. Every session comes with an instructor, plus there’s video feedback to help you improve your technique.

This nifty set-up, near Warminster, was introduced to the south west by Nick Jenkins, a former Dragon’s Den investor. He’s been known to have a clever idea or two up his sleeve – he is the brains behind Moonpig online greeting cards, after all. As an avid skier himself, he wanted somewhere his daughter could work on her technique in between holidays.

The stats at South Wilts Ski Club are pretty impressive. According to Nick, you can learn as much in a one-hour session here as you would in an entire morning on the nursery slopes. Another massive bonus is the continuous nature of the slope, and consistent surface. Skiers can enjoy nonstop turns, for as long as their legs can handle it, and there’s no time wasted hopping on and off lifts.

If you want an adrenaline rush, speeds vary from 0 to a spicier 32kmph, while the slope angle can change from gentle 13 to a steeper 22 degrees. In fact, if you skied nonstop for an hour at top speed, it would be the equivalent of whizzing nonstop from the top of Everest down to sea level.

Of course, this is a great way to introduce kids (aged four and up) to the thrill of skiing. South Wilts Ski is based in a purpose-built barn, meaning little ones are guaranteed to avoid a white-out and sub-zero temperatures. The infinity track is also exclusively yours for your session, so there’s nobody to crash into budding skiers while they master their snowplough. The upshot? You can fast-track kids’ progress, ensuring they’ve had a head start when they hit the nursery slopes for real.