This is winter

I’m in my fifth winter season working in the ski fields. My family has never been into winter sports. They’ve never really been into winter. Perhaps it is because winter in The Netherlands has all the bad sides, like slippery roads, cold and windy days and frozen windows, but none of the good things, like actual snow that you can play with. It is therefore hard for my family to imagine why on earth I voluntarily stand out in the cold every day. So let me try to explain.

My day starts with my usual bus ride up the mountain. I know I am teaching a two year-old and I’m thinking of ways to entertain her as well as get her to stop on her own. It’s only a two hour session and I’m hoping to get some ski time in. Yesterday we had a big storm and for most of the day the mountain was closed. Today more wind is forecasted. When I arrived at the ski school I pick up my things, put on my ski boots and set up the learning area. Then the little girl arrives.

It is race day. For my little one it just means we ski all day with a race number and slide down super fast. It’s pretty much what she’s been doing all the time anyway, because no matter how hard I try to explain why we need to make pizza legs, she doesn’t seem to do it. I put her in the right position time after time, but as soon as she goes, her legs come back together. She doesn’t have much energy today anyway. After some sledding and snow fun we try to ski some more, but she’s more like jelly, dropping every chance she gets. Her mom decides it’s enough.

So far, so good. The lifts are still running and it seems the sun is even making an appearance. I pack up the learning area again, quickly eat my sandwiches and I’m off. In the gondola I find out that I ate so quick I still had some egg on my hand which I’ve now smeared all over the inside of my glove. By the time we reach the top I’ve managed to get it all out. I click into my skis and warm up on my way to the next chairlift. I’m comfortable in the heated seats, flying over the trees, but when I reach the top I see most of the lifts up there are still closed. One more run down to the same chairlift then.

On my second time up I see they are racking on the chairs on some other lifts. The wind is calming down and the ski area seems to be opening up again. I quickly ski to the next lift and wait for the staff to finish their preparations. At the top of the lift is a strong, cold wind and I struggle to keep moving. But it is only temporarily. The rest of the slopes are glorious. Because of all the wind, some parts are bare, sheets of ice are revealed, but some slopes have a big layer of the fresh snow that fell throughout yesterday.

After a couple of runs I make my way over to another lift, that only has black runs running underneath it. There is a lot of loose snow and I feel my skis grip, making smooth turns. I’m finally starting to feel I’m improving. I’ve got a long way to go and much more to practise, but today feels good. The sheets of ice don’t throw me off and I keep going. The sun comes out and it’s a stunning day. The wind is rushing past me as I fly down. When I go up again I enjoy the best views of the mountains. Snow capped mountains surround me, a white village lies in the valley and in the distance I still see dark clouds. It’s the best vista in the world.

When I make my way back towards the ski school I’m starting to feel my legs. It’s been a good workout. The last run is busy. I hit a patch with lots of moguls. I start to make some really nice turns, but then one hump throws me off a bit. The next section is better again and I reach the bottom satisfied. I’ve had a great day. I got some work in, but still managed to have a gorgeous afternoon skiing. I feel tired but refreshed. Life is great right now!