Need advice for ski lessons before we go on first ski holiday!

hello!
Ok im very new to this site, just found it whilst i should be working! :D Myself and 7 friends are off to St Anton in January. For 3 of us this is our first time skiing. We've been doing a "Garuntee to ski" course at our local dry slope school. We are just about to do our last lesson, which is where we develop our snow ploughs into turning. My question is what do we do after this??? Our thoughts are do some free practises and then take another course before we go. what do you think? plus should we go to a ski school out there???

Chris

Hi,
I'd definitely take lessons when you're on your holiday. On the first morning the instructors watch you ski and put you in a suitable group-you'll be more advanced than the novices. Lessons are part of the fun when you start and you'll meet and have lunch with others. The instructor will take you to some nice runs.

I've done the same thing you are doing, I have booked a ski course in a dry slope near by, after that I want to practice a bit then we may do the intermediate course before we head off to the mountains. We are planning on having some private lessons there.

im not sure about these dry slope lessons

seem to be for taking your money more than anything else.

i learnt on a mountain, taught by a friend, in about 6 hours....and i paralell turning by the end of the day.

nothing beats the real thing.

Don't let the dry slope put you off-I was TERRIFIED when I went to one before I could ski.

I'd book in for some lessons Chris. I went out first time and had never even touched a pair of skis, let alone been on a dry slope. I spent 3 days swearing and cursing the dreaded snowlough, but as soon as they started on parallel turns, I was away. I have not had lessons since the end of that week, but I can tell you that I have got a hell of a lot of skiing in in a relatively short space of time since, and improved to a good level through experience.
I do wish I had had more lessons, and have often thought about a refresher to sharpen up on some of my bad habits.
I would recommend that you spend your first skiing holiday really getting to grips with the whole thing in lessons, so that all your subsequent trips can be spent really enjoying yourselves, doing your own thing. I got very frustrated initially with not being able to make my body work the way I wanted it to, or to make my skis go in the direction I was aiming for, but in the end it all came good, and I simply cannot get enough time on my skis nowadays.
You are going to love it.
I will be in St Anton 4th to 11th Jan - when do you go?

thankyou for the advice!!! Paul McD, our instructor was saying last week that its easier to ski on snow than on a dry slope! But from what i can tell from the posts on here its the other way around!!! We were thinking of going to the snow dome in Milton Keynes to get as close a experience as possible, is that a good idea???? plus how do we work out how long to be in the ski school e.g how many days? Plus is it a few hours and then we can spend the rest of the day skiing with our more advanced friends???
Tony H, we're going out the same day as yourself!! One of my friends is half swiss and shes been going since she was a young girl! Ive been reading though that St Anton is not to good for beginners! Whats your thoughts??? Have to admit ive heard alot about this place called crazy Kangarah thats meant to be good fun!

Hi,
It's easiest to learn on the real stuff as it's soft and shallow on the nursery slopes. Dry slopes hurt and the main slopes of the snowdone are a bit steep for a novice. Personally I'd book lessons all week-they only last half a day at a time and you can go and play in the afternoon. You'll be able to ski by the end of the week.