 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi guys, going on my first ski holiday in jan and am super excited! In preparation I've been going to ski school every Sunday since late november having 2 hours of lessons. Number are quite small in lessons so it's almost like having one on one tuition. I'm at the stage where I can parallel ski confidently, attempting moguls and doing stuff like side slipping etc... My question is how much of difference will it be on snow? Should I be able to ski as well on snow as on dry slope??
Many thanks,
Tom
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Should be slightly easier, but
Snow will be more forgiving.
Snow will be quicker
Snow will allow you to get more active on the skis
Snow will not hurt as much when you chew it.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I would say that while dry slope lessons are very good for preparing you for some aspects of life on skis there are some that you don't experience.
1) Other piste users - There will be a much great variation of skier with wildly varying degrees of control and speed
2) Types of piste - A dry slope is a dry slope, it doesn't really change. On real snow it can change very quickly from powder to groomed to ice. You can't assume it will be the same as you ski along, I watched my instructor double eject from his skis as he hit a pile of snow that was absolutely unseeable in flat light. Pistes also vary in size and steepness (obviously) but you need to be aware of traffic flow on runs down towards the bottom as they can sometimes narrow and lots of people, especially at the end of the day will be using them.
3) Speed - You will have a lot more room and can go a lot faster on snow control is very important as things can get quite interesting quickly!
4) Faitgue - You will likely be skiing a lot more, in much more difficult conditions, you will get tired fast so take regular breaks and be aware of your condition
5) I wouldn't really think about trying moguls, work your way through the piste colours, green/blue/red/black and build your confidence and ability slowly, maybe have a guide/instructor for a few days to ease the transition and find a true level of your ability on snow to keep you safe
You will have an awesome time and it is fantastic you have taken steps to prepare for it! In my opinion, snow is very different to dry slope, the techniques can be transferable but it isn't as easy as jumping from one to the other. The most important things in my opinion are being aware of your surroundings and humble in your judgement of your ability, that will keep you and others safe above everything.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks for the feedback, I've got a guide/instructor booked for the whole week as part of a group. So I'm guessing he'll be able to judge my skill level and take me runs to suit and help me familiarise myself ski etiquette etc?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ah yeah, if you're with an instructor, you'll be looked after well 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Totally agree with the points the others have made. I don't think you'll have much difficulty switching from one to the other; it might feel a little weird for the first hour or two but you'll be fine after that. Dry slopes can be great for refining technique precisely because they are less forgiving than snow. The flip-side is that you might find some bad habits creeping in when you get onto snow. I think you'll find that snow is a lot more fun too, so have a blast!
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Youll Probably find its a lot easier on the Powder, Get all the practice early in the day as you can as your legs will start to feel it after a few hours.... and get a good lunch and a few stops now and again. 
Harriet Tawse
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tomb, Totally agree with all the other comments - we learnt on dry slope but adapted easily to snow, I think it is down to being a lot easier and hence your confidence increases and as a result so does your skiing skills, in a relatively short time.
Keep a view up hill, as on the mountain more people will be behind you and coming quicker, altough your January dates will be okay.
Enjoy and watch your instructor closely to make the most of your week
The best advice I was given was: try not to overdo the first few days, so you don;t get too knackerd on the last few days - take some ibrobrufin, just in case !!
You don;t state where you are going but we have just come back from the 3 Valleys and the snow was the best for 6 years (IMO), so you should be in for a great time, all the best.
Noisey
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Snow is more slidey er. Other big one for me is learning to read the terrain and the variations in pitch and snow conditions and making the relevant adjustments to get the best out of it.
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tomb, Plastic is very good for upper body separation drills, (ensure your edges are sharp) short radius, short swings, javelin turns, carving flop, really turning the inside ski on its edge, plastic reveals all the errors in turning viz. shoulder rotation, hip throw, no pole plant, non centred, lack of ankle flex. Hence “I can’t ski on this stuff” is bleated.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I generally agree, dry slopes are difficult, which I'm sure says something about how rubbish my technique is!
My main feeling when going back to a dry slope is that I can't just push my legs about and expect to turn, my weight has to be perfectly balanced and I have to turn progressively and smoothly otherwise I slow down way too quickly and overbalance.
As for using telemark gear on a dry slope, I went direct from "wahey, I feel awesome, telemark for life!" on snow in Passo Tonale to "oh cr4p, I can't even link turns any more" in Rossendale. Again, probably due to poor technique, but dispiriting nevertheless. I did eventually manage to link tele turns and stop constantly falling over after about 3 hours thankfully
Bottom line, snow is way easier that dry slopes, so you should have no problems!
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