Snow & Rock

If I ever decide I want to go on my own voyage Into The Wild, Snow & Rock is where I will go to pick up my supplies.
A sprawling store on Market Street, they specialise in ski-​ing, snowboarding, climbing and rambling equipment for amateurs and professionals. There’s waterproof jackets, trousers, boots and accessories in every colour, style and price-​tag imaginable alongside practical items like harnesses, ropes, crampons, ice-​screws, helmets, knee and elbow guards and braces. My personal shopping list would include smaller items like a blanket, thermals, first aid kit, compass, maps, heart rate monitor, energy bars and of course, a coffee filter mug!

I’m not sure why Snow and Rock still have so many high street stores as they have such a massive online and directory ordering service, it must cost them a fortune to keep these going.
They do pretty much cover anything outdoorsy though from snowboarding to landboarding and climbing. The winter clothing is pretty pricey, especially the North Face stuff but I guess if you’re up a mountain in –20 degree winds, your going to want more than a jersey your Granny knitted you.

When I was younger, I was an avid skier: what you get from growing up in the mountains. Now-​a-​days, the whole kaboodle is just too pricey, but I still enjoy popping into shops like Snow and Rock and checking out the wares! As ski shops go, this one has anything you could possibly need, and a friendly word of advice for the newcomer. While this doesn’t change the fact that they are selling expensive items for expensive hobbies, it is nice to know how readily available such items are, should the bug hit me too hard once more!
In terms of their selection, Snow and Rock seem to have found the perfect middle ground: they offer more ski equipment than would probably be necessary for the casual enthusiast, but don’t leave the hardcore fan wanting either. How they trade I’m not sure; we Brits aren’t best known for our love of the pistes, but I’m sure they fill a ski sized hole in the otherwise excellent Brighton shopping scene, somehow or another.
It is hard to criticise Snow and Rock’s selection: they have everything I could possibly want if I went skiing again, and are as well stocked as any of the shops on the continent I’ve been in. If anything, I’d criticise the amount of snowboarding stuff, but that’s just because I think snowboarders are incredibly annoying (they mess up the good ski-​slopes… it’s a long-​standing rivalry!)
Joking aside, it’s a well-​stocked shop, and offers all skiing sundries you might require as well as the beasts themselves: rucksacks, scarfs, hats, etc. I’m still not 100% sure why and how they operate in Brighton of all places, but do think they’re a great little place. If you’re heading for the slopes, pop in to make sure you have everything: I don’t know about you, but I always used to find I’d forget SOMETHING on one of those ski holidays…

Snow and Rock is the place to go if you’re heading to the mountains. They supply everything you could need in preparation for a ski trip. Snowboards, skis, boots and all the necessary equipment — wax, poles, goggles, padding, sunscreen — are displayed around the shop.
Accessories that might be of interest to the non-​boarders: sunglasses, hats, scarves, gloves, mittens and smaller sized rucksacks.