Swimming Wild in the Lake District E-Book

Suzanna Cruickshank

• Herausgeber: Vertebrate Digital
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 146

Beschreibung

Swimming Wild in the Lake District by Suzanna Cruickshank is an informative and inspiring book for both new and experienced wild swimmers, exploring the larger lakes in the beautiful Lake District National Park. The book explores secluded wild swimming locations in the tourist hotspots of Windermere and Derwent Water and takes you to the tranquil hidden gems of Bassenthwaite, Crummock Water and Devoke Water, with the emphasis on taking time to enjoy the stunning surroundings. Imagine yourself gliding through clear, still water, surrounded by rugged fells, with only the sound of birdsong to accompany you. The book is full of useful tips for both new and experienced wild swimmers; it contains sections on getting started in wild swimming, how to look after your own safety and impartial advice on all the essential kit you'll need, as well as what you don't need. Illustrated with stunning photography, and featuring overview maps, the book has all the practical information you need to plan your wild swimming adventure, including access to the lakes by car or public transport where possible, thorough information about the best wild swimming locations on all the featured lakes and details of the best pubs and cafes for a much-needed post-swim drink or meal. Suzanna vividly describes her wild swimming experiences and brings the characteristics of each lake to life. Whether you're an experienced wild swimmer or just dipping your toes in the water for the first time you'll find plenty to inspire your next adventure.

Leseprobe

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Vertebrate Publishing, Sheffieldwww.v-publishing.co.uk

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High Peel Near, Coniston Water

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Contents

IntroductionGetting started in open waterEquipmentGeology & ecologyBiosecurityBassenthwaite LakeDerwent WaterUllswaterBrothers WaterGrasmereRydal WaterElter WaterWindermereConiston WaterDevoke WaterWast WaterButtermereCrummock WaterLoweswaterReservoirsFurther readingAcknowledgements

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Otterbield Bay, Derwent Water

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Introduction

‘Is it safe?’ – my dad on the subject of any swim; any lake. His idea of safe was tied with that of permission and common knowledge. He never said this about hills. There was always a guidebook to read and a map to follow for hills.

My dad was in the terminal stages of prostate cancer when the outline for this guidebook was conceived. As he became less able to climb hills, we took shorter, easier walks. I started to swim more. He would nervously watch from the water’s edge, always more confident of my ability to drown than my ability to swim.

Like many a good idea, the idea to write this guidebook was dreamt up in a pub. I’d just been for a hair-raising and ill-advised swim near a fast-flowing weir on a windy November afternoon. It was the most terrified I had ever been in the water, and indeed have been since. In the pub afterwards, Dad – clearly troubled by the particular shade of white my face was when I returned to shore – ruminated, ‘There should be a book – one that tells you where it’s safe to get in’. And there wasn’t, not a dedicated Lake District book anyway.

So the idea was born. Researching material for this book kept me sane as the demands of caring grew. The idea it would ever reach publication was fanciful, and after my dad passed away I threw myself into building my fledgling swim business and all the qualifications that entailed. I’m proud that my fanciful idea has become a reality.

In the adventurous spirit of wild swimming, this is not an exhaustive guide to every single location around every single lake. You can swim anywhere in the Lake District where you are able to access the water without trespassing. Ordnance Survey maps are invaluable for planning swim adventures. But the mere existence of access does not mean you should swim. Whether it is ‘safe’ depends on you, the swimmer, and conditions on the day. Remember, if an easily accessed section of lakeshore looks undesirable, a gem might be just round the corner.

I hope you will use this guidebook to explore the highlights of each lake and find your own favourite. Happy swimming!

Above and below in Buttermere © Suzanna Cruickshankx

Wild swimming in the Lake District

Swimmers have migrated from natural waters to the confines of indoor lanes, and back again, for over 200 years. The fashion for ‘taking the waters’ for one’s wellbeing can be traced back to the seventeenth century when seaside dips were promoted as a cure for many ills, and the medicinal value of spring-fed spa bathing became popular. This trend virtually passed Cumbria by with only local populations travelling to Cumbrian seaside resorts. Even on the sunniest August day it must have been a tough sell to pass off the grey coastal waters as highly beneficial for health. Tourists were not flocking to the Lake District for the lakes in the nineteenth century, but for the hills. Contemplation of the mountain landscape was very much in vogue and, guidebook in hand, visitors would follow set itineraries across the Lake District to particular viewpoints.

1 Autumnal Grasmere 2 Throwing shapes © Suzanna Cruickshank

Undoubtedly people did swim in the lakes, or at least bathe, but little has been recorded. The British Long Distance Swimming Association was formed in 1956 and has had strong links to the Lake District since its inception. It’s an unequivocally outdoor swimming association. I’m grateful to their secretary, Vince, who was able to give me some interesting historical information including the earliest recorded swim in Windermere when Joseph Foster swam the entire length of the lake in 1911. Countless other records followed with efforts focused on Bassenthwaite Lake, Coniston Water, Derwent Water, Ullswater and Windermere.

I spoke to friends who grew up in Cumbria to find out about their swimming experiences as children. Schoolchildren in Keswick, Ambleside and Coniston during the 1970s and 1980s would have learned in a swimming pool, although xilessons were also held in lakes in warmer months. For their parents’ generation, lessons were held in a lake. With no such things as wetsuits, they swam as quickly as they possibly could between the jetties until they were allowed to get out again.

3 Wast Water 4 Getting ready for a swim © Anita Nicholson 5 Wild Crummock Water © Carmen Norman

On Windermere, a swimming club was situated at Millerground and Rayrigg Meadow. The changing huts still stand there now. Windermere Bathing Pool was where countless local children learned to swim in pre- and post-World War II years. Once the indoor pool opened in nearby Troutbeck Bridge during the post-war boom, lake swimming popularity waned and was actively discouraged as swimmers flocked to the modern facilities. This matched the trend for the rest of the country with nearly 200 public pools being built between 1960 and 1970. Today, Keswick Leisure Pool and Askham Outdoor Swimming Pools are the only public pools within the Lake District National Park boundary. The swimming pool at Troutbeck Bridge fell into disrepair in the 1990s; it is now a membership-based health club.

When my interest in taking my short dips further was piqued, I went in search of information. The existing wild swimming guidebooks were undoubtedly well researched but the handful of Lake District locations they contained were ones I already knew. Internet searches turned up vague locations and repetitive descriptions. Joining a club seemed way above my skill set with training drills and the ominous ‘tri’ in many club titles. So I set out to do it myself.

Ever since Thomas West published A Guide to the Lakes in 1778, countless others have published their take on the Lake District and what makes it so special. Now it’s my turn.

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Max and Grace take flight at Ashness Jetty, Derwent Water

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Getting started in open water

My love of the outdoors stems from many hours spent walking in the hills, enjoying the sheer simplicity of self-propelled progress over interesting terrain. Skills obtained in this area are transferable – interpreting a map or weather forecast, for example. Going for a walk is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. Making the transition from fully clothed on a lakeshore to full submersion is quite different. Dipping your toes into wild water is a step into the unknown. It forces you to leave the reliable gravitational pull of dry land and put your faith into something intangible.

It’s at this stage that for the first-time wild swimmer I recommend hiring the services of a reputable guide. Someone who has swum in those waters many times, who maybe has their own guiding business. They might have even written a guidebook telling you all about swimming in the Lake District! But scan any wild swimming website or forum and you’ll see that variations of the question ‘how do I start wild swimming’ are popular. A frequent reply is ‘go with a friend’ and ‘just get in’. So, like most people, I didn’t hire a guide. I just got in.

My first foray into open water was in Bassenthwaite Lake. I don’t think I had ever heard the term wild swimming before, I was simply going for a swim outside. I dipped a tentative toe in the water and then spent several minutes psyching myself up to get fully submerged. I swam in frantic circles for what felt like an age, but was probably no more than a few minutes, before I hurried out again.

For the next few years that was the sum total of my wild swimming experiences. Quick hesitant dips in the heat of summer, always tinged with a slight sense of ‘there must be more to this’. Then, in the same way that my friends Liam and Kath had handed me a guidebook to expand my horizons beyond the familiar paths of Whinlatter Forest, my friend Jude took me for a proper swim in Derwent Water and changed the way I looked at water forever.

Like a writer sitting down to tackle the beginning, middle and end of their story, planning a swim should feature a before, during and after.xiv

Before

» Preparation starts at home, by checking the weather and ground conditions and packing your bag.

» Consider the extra energy swimming in cold water will require; don’t forget to fuel your body appropriately for the activity.

» Don’t underestimate how cold you might feel after leaving the water. Pack warm clothes to wear after your swim, and arrive warm. Some of my most uncomfortable swims were the ones where I was cold before I entered the water and subsequently took hours to warm up.

» Always let someone know where you are going and try not to swim alone. There are lots of social swim groups across the country, far more than when I first started. Find people on social media or contact the Outdoor Swimming Society to find a local group. If you really can’t find anyone to get in the water with you, take someone to watch. I bought my dad a throw line – a twenty-metre length of floating rope that can be used as a rescue aid by a supporter on the shore. He found this reassuring knowing that he could confidently throw the line should I need it, and not risk getting into the water himself.

» Don’t drink and drown. As well as lowering your perception of risk, having alcohol in your system impairs your body’s ability to regulate its temperature. Ditto drugs.

» Identify your entry and exit points. Can you get out as easily as you can get in? If the lake bed shelves suddenly you could find yourself in deep water before you are ready for it.

» Get in slowly, don’t jump. Leaping in might make a great Instagram photo, but if you are unacclimatised or unaccustomed to cold water, this is the quickest way to suffer cold water shock, which can be fatal. Get in slowly and splash yourself with water. Control your breathing and avoid gulping air as you fully submerge. Never jump in without first checking the depth, even in a location you are familiar with or have jumped in before. Lake levels fluctuate significantly after rain.

» Protect your belongings from the elements while you swim. Worried some naughty rascals might run off with your clothes? Or a nosy labrador will steal your sandwiches? In busier places I use a camouflage dry bag to hide things in the undergrowth or I pop my clothes in an inflatable swim bag and take them with me. I’ve never had my clothes stolen, or my mobile phone and car keys for that matter, but someone did walk off with my fire pit while I was in the River Derwent. Try fitting that in a swim bag!

» Biosecurity is a vital issue in the Lake District. Make sure you read the advice under Biosecurity before you get started.

I often spend longer researching a swim than actually doing it. This is especially true in winter when there are more risks to weigh up. Research is part of the fun for me, scouring the map for tiny hidden bays and using apps to track the trajectory of the sun for that perfect sunrise or sunset location through the seasons.xv

During

» Are there other users on the lake? I try to avoid swimming where I might come across boat traffic, but if it’s unavoidable make yourself as noticeable as possible. Wear a brightly coloured cap, use a tow float and attach a whistle. Consider taking a friend in a kayak or on a paddleboard.

» Know your limits. Tempting as it is, especially on a warm day, don’t stay in too long or overestimate your ability. It’s better to leave a lake feeling like you could have stayed in longer, than not leaving the lake at all. Similarly, don’t be tempted to swim out into the middle of a lake on your first swim. It’s always further than you think. Build your confidence by swimming parallel to the shore.

» How far are you planning to swim? It’s easier to stay in longer than you intended if you are with a mixed ability group. Be cautious of overt and subliminal peer pressure and don’t feel you should swim outside your comfort zone to keep up appearances. If you are used to swimming a certain distance in a pool you may find this significantly reduced in open water due to water temperature and weather conditions. I find wearing a simple stopwatch helpful and track my swim time rather than distance.

» Weeds are a common fear amongst swimmers but getting tangled beyond release is unlikely. If you swim into weeds, let your legs drift and float over them, either sculling gently with your hands or using breaststroke arms.

» Currents are not usually an issue in lakes. In large bodies of water the flow is slow. You are more likely to be pushed off course by wind than a lake current. Be careful where rivers flow into a lake; be aware of the potential for them to push you away from the shore. Islands and narrow channels can speed up the flow of water and you should avoid swimming near weirs. In a lake setting currents should be a general awareness rather than a grave danger.

Swimmers at Peel Wyke, Bassenthwaite Lake © Anita Nicholsonxvi

After

» Don’t hang around once you get out, especially if it is windy. Your body cools down more quickly when wet and exposed to cold air, and hypothermia is a very real risk even in summer.

» Wrap up well even on a mild day – you continue to cool down for around thirty minutes after leaving the water. Put on all your warm clothes even if you feel fine initially.

» Remember to Check, Clean and Dry (see Biosecurity).

» Have a hot drink and something to eat. The feel-good factor in consuming something warm and tasty also serves a scientific purpose. Our bodies generate heat by metabolising food. If that’s not an excuse to eat a pie then I don’t know what is.

This before, during and after advice is a potted version of what I teach on beginner open-water sessions in my day job as a swimming guide. It’s mostly common sense but should not be considered the final word in how to swim safely outdoors. That part is up to you, the swimmer. Further resources are available from the Royal Life Saving Society, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and the Outdoor Swimming Society. In particular, the OSS has a wealth of informative articles on its website written for and by wild swimmers.

» www.rlss.org.uk

» www.rnli.org

» www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com

Wild swimming is one of the most liberating things you can do. Plan carefully then get out there and enjoy the lakes!

1 Post-swim drink © James Kirby

SAFETY

In the event of an emergency in the Lake District dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue. (This advice will vary in other parts of the UK depending on what services are available in that location.)

Where possible give a six-figure grid reference of your location and that of the casualty. In the UK you can also contact the emergency services by SMS text – useful if you have low battery or intermittent signal. You need to register your phone first by texting ‘register’ to 999 and then following the instructions in the reply. Do it now – it could save yours or someone else’s life.

www.emergencysms.net

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Equipment

One of the most basic joys of swimming is that it requires virtually no specialist equipment at all.* At the very least you need a swimming costume or trunks. Some would argue you need nothing at all.

Swimming is a great leveller; you need very little to get started and most of it is left behind as you swim.

2 Swimming socks and shoes © Carmen Norman 3 Swimming bag © Carmen Norman

Outdoor swimming can be as basic or as technical as you like. Wetsuits are often pooh-poohed by purists as ‘cheating’ – they say that the only way to swim outside is in your trunks or not at all. It’s true that many competitions and challenges set a ‘no wetsuit’ rule, but I say whatever gets you in the water. Wear what you feel comfortable in, whether that is a thermal wetsuit and balaclava, or a bikini. Indeed, both appear in this guidebook!