WilD SwiMmiNg
Some nutters do it all year round, others to cool off on hot summer hikes. Whenever you choose to swim wild, it’ll always be an experience you never forget.
One of the easiest ways to inject some adventure into your hillwalk is to strip off and plunge into deep, rock-cold water surrounded by dark hills, under the open sky. Once you catch your breath and regain the feeling in your limbs, you’ll start to feel the silkiness of clear mountain water on your skin and the shiver of swimming in deep water. A quick tarn-splash is a brilliant way to wash off the dust and sweat of a long hillwalk, or you might find yourself becoming more committed. A light wetsuit will enable you to spend more time in the water and swim year round if you want. Or you can plan a particularly warm day around linking up tarns. Styhead and Sprinkling Tarn are a good pair that will bring an invigorating tingle to an ascent of Scafell Pike. There are, of course, safety implications of submerging yourself in mountain water, so do your research first. And for best results, do it naked – there’s nothing like being totally ‘free’ in the wild!