Is it possible to learn to ski as an adult?

[gaspi]

A friend wants us to go skiing this winter, but I’ve never been and I’m really bad at any sliding sports, like rollerblading — just impossible for me.
Do you think it’s possible to learn from scratch on my own, without lessons?

I’ve been strongly encouraged to take beginner lessons, for example here, and it seems really well suited for learning safely.
And if I don’t ski, what else could I do in the mountains?