Photo Gallery Skating through Holland
The Netherlands are abuzz with anticipation that the famed Elfstedentocht, or 11 Cities Tour, a 200 kilometer (125 mile) ice skating race through the northern province of Friesland, can be held for the first time since 1997. Here, a part of the course between Bolsward and Workum.
The entire course must be covered with at least 15 centimeters (six inches) of ice to be considered safe. Volunteers have already begun clearing snow from the ice.
Thousands of people have turned out to help, and the entire country has Elfstedentocht fever. Here, the words "11 Cities" are shoveled into the snow on the race's route.
On Wednesday, civilian volunteers received support from the military, with soldiers from the 44th Armored Infantry Brigade clearing snow from a lake on the route of the race.
Frigid weather has created solid ice along much of the course, though there are still areas that need more. Volunteers cleared snow on Tuesday in the hopes that it would speed ice formation.
Here, a man skates along the course of the Elfstedentocht with a device used for measuring ice thickness.
There are still significant weak spots on the course, like this ice hole between Sneek and Leeuwarden.
People in Amsterdam are also getting their fill of ice-skating these days, with a frigid high pressure system parked above much of Europe.
