Skiing in the Netherlands

If you’re going skiing indoors in the Netherlands, here are a few tips.

1. All skiing in the Netherlands is indoors. You'll see why if you ever visit here--the entire country is flat as Kansas.

2. An hour is enough time. Really. No matter how huge the facility is, it’s really just a bunny hill with a roof.

3. Those rope pulls move fast. The one on this slope did not get along with me. It whacked me in the back. It whacked me in the face. It jumped out of my hands when I tried to grab it. Once I went up the entire hill hanging onto it with my hands—harder than it looks. I made it to the top through sheer will.

4. Don’t let the indoor-ness fool you. It is cold in there. They have to keep it above freezing. Both times I’ve gone skiing indoors in the Netherlands, I hadn’t brought my ski clothes—so I’ve had to borrow MJ’s. This time I went skiing in jeans, about six layers of thin sweaters and t-shirts, and MJ’s jacket—which is laughably too big for me, as can be clearly seen in the above photo, in which I imitate a potato with legs.

That’s pretty much it for tips. Other than that, it’s pretty self-explanatory. Let the fun begin!