There are, in theory, two main ski schools in St.Anton, however in practice there is only really one. We have the Arlberg Ski School (blue uniform) and the St.Anton Ski School (red uniform) and until three seasons ago they were totally separate, now they are one and the same with very little between their prices.   There are also some smaller operations and independant guides that offer a more personal service tuned to individual needs and these I have detailed at the bottom of this page.

With regard to using the ski school and learning to ski there are a few things that you should get clear:

Firstly, you CAN NOT teach yourself to ski (correctly) If you want to ski well and always keep improving you should always have lessons. Even when you are a very competent skier it still pays to have lessons to avoid picking up bad habits. Secondly, people come skiing for two main reasons - mostly for a great holiday, great partying and a fun time. Some people come not to party all week, but to actually learn to ski very well. Nothing wrong with either category – you just have to decide which one you are - I started off as the former and then changed to the latter. The problem is if you fall into the latter category you cannot really do too much of the former !

So having got that off my chest I will give those who are in the latter category a few tips to use when booking up lessons. If you can afford it I would always have one to one lessons or a group lesson with just two or three people of the same standard. You will learn quicker and the cost will not be much more than group lessons in the long run.

Most people do not realise it but there are three different levels of ski instructor (see below in off piste skiing) with the majority being at the lower qualification level. So it is a good idea when booking your instructor, (whether it is for a group of you or for one to one tuition) to request an instructor with one of the higher two qualifications (they all cost the same!) Another important factor is also to make sure that they speak very good English.

If you are a good skier and want to be taken off piste or go touring - legally the only instructor allowed to do this is one who has qualified at the highest level and achieved the Austrian Ski Diploma. The three levels are: