{"id":407668,"date":"2019-12-19T03:56:21","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T10:56:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=407668"},"modified":"2019-12-19T05:07:44","modified_gmt":"2019-12-19T12:07:44","slug":"all-i-want-for-christmas-is-hot-chocolate-by-the-fire-after-a-spot-of-winter-solstice-wild-swimming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-hot-chocolate-by-the-fire-after-a-spot-of-winter-solstice-wild-swimming\/","title":{"rendered":"All I Want For Christmas Is Hot Chocolate By The Fire &#8211; After A Spot Of Winter Solstice Wild Swimming"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Wild Swimming<\/strong> is becoming ever more popular. Below we dip a toe into the <strong>Winter Solstice swims in the Lake District of England<\/strong>. Some take the plunge into the cold, open waters in search of inner calm, a natural high and health (mental, blood circulation, muscular strength and even pain management), others for all of that and charity.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever their reasons for braving freezing temperatures to swim in freshwater lakes, icy mountain pools, the swell of big sea, <strong>wild winter swimming<\/strong> is moving upstream from a test for military units and thrill-seekers to mainstream.<\/p>\n<p>Some swims require soaring levels of fitness, competence, physical, and mental strengths beyond those required for the average 20-minute swim in a 10C lake. <strong>Lewis&#8217;s Pugh&#8217;s East Antarctica Ice Sheet Swim and Outer Hebrides prep camp<\/strong> are examples of swimmers living life on the edge for the ultimate cause: our planet&#8217;s survival &#8211; and our&#8217;s with it.<\/p>\n<p>In Britain, the<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Outdoor Swimming Society<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0which issues advice on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com\/festive-swims-dos-donts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;Festive Swim Do&#8217;s &amp; Don&#8217;ts &#8211; Are you safe to do a one-off winter swim?&#8221;<\/a>,\u00a0saw membership soar to more than 70,000 over the past two years, compared with only a couple of hundred a decade ago.<\/p>\n<p>There are about 200 mass swims a year, each with an entry fee of \u00a350 to \u00a3150, but that number and the wide range of locations from Devon in southern England to the Scottish Highlands is unlikely to satisfy demand, <strong>Ella Foote<\/strong>, the group\u2019s spokesperson told <em>The Guardian<\/em> newspaper at the end of the winter season a year ago:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;They sell out like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Glastonbury<\/a> \u2013 we could fill these events twice over.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">The Winter Solstice Swims in The English Lake District<\/h3>\n<p id=\"m_-4417648143154867036docs-internal-guid-0ba713ea-7fff-3610-883a-8b3826da25ff\" dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Wild swimming<\/strong> meets the <strong>Winter Solstice in the English Lake District<\/strong> this weekend and <strong>Laura Clarke<\/strong> wouldn\u2019t miss it for the world.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Clarke, whose outdoor adventures include trekking to Everest Base Camp, loves nothing more than an early morning dip in the tranquil waters of the Lake District.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">&#8220;There&#8217;s just you and the water surrounded by amazing scenery at the first light of day,\u201d said Clarke.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"color: #33cccc;\">&#8220;It takes your mind off anything that you are concerned about or worried about, anything that is in your head.\u00a0When you&#8217;ve done that first thing in the morning you end up going on to have a really productive day.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The day job that Clarke heads off to after her weekday wild swims is the reason she is able to live in the Lake District, and why this weekend\u2019s Winter Solstice swim is only a stone\u2019s throw from her work and home.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">After landing a dream job as a private client executive with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cartmells.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors<\/strong><\/a>, Clarke made the move north from Teddington in south-west London with her fianc\u00e9 Dan earlier this year. It hasn&#8217;t been all work no play. Says Clarke:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"color: #33cccc;\">\u201cAs a family-orientated business, Cartmell Shepherd encourages a good work life balance and is supportive of me pursuing my activities, including wild swimming.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The lakes of Crummock Water and Buttermere have come to be like a home from home not far away from Clarke\u2019s new base:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"color: #33cccc;\">\u201cFor the last seven years, the Lake District has always been the place where Dan and I have wanted to live. I am so lucky to live and work here. I&#8217;ve still got to pinch myself that this is all on our doorstep.\u00a0Wild swimming wakes you up. At first light is when the Lake District looks its best. No-one else is around. It is really beautiful. I find it really refreshing.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">This weekend Clarke will join wild swimming expert <strong>Suzanna Cruickshank<\/strong> for a special <strong>Winter Solstice Wild Swim<\/strong> in Derwentwater, near Keswick. Cruickshank has her own guiding business and she runs events for wild swimming enthusiasts all year round.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_407677\" style=\"width: 856px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-407677\" data-attachment-id=\"407677\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-hot-chocolate-by-the-fire-after-a-spot-of-winter-solstice-wild-swimming\/lauraclarkeswimsin-cockermouth\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/lauraclarkeswimsin-cockermouth.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1280,853\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9 Photography by James Kirby www.jameskirby.me.uk&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"lauraclarkeswimsin cockermouth\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;lauraclarkeswimsin cockermouth&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Laura Clarke takes to open waters near Cockermouth &#8211; Photo Courtesy: Laura Clarke&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/lauraclarkeswimsin-cockermouth-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/lauraclarkeswimsin-cockermouth-1024x682.jpg\" class=\" wp-image-407677\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/lauraclarkeswimsin-cockermouth-700x500.jpg\" alt=\"lauraclarkeswimsin cockermouth\" width=\"846\" height=\"604\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-407677\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Suzanna Cruickshank &#8211; author of Wild Swimming, out in April 2020 &#8211; Photo Courtesy: Suzanna Cruickshank<\/p><\/div>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The <strong>Winter Solstice swims<\/strong> are aimed at regular outdoor swimmers. Those taking part may only be in the water for up to 20 minutes due to the low temperatures at this time of year: around 8-10C. One woman&#8217;s pleasant view is another one&#8217;s sporty thrill. Says Clarke:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"color: #33cccc;\">\u201cIt will be incredible. That moment when you get out after a wild swim in winter, get dressed into your dry, warm clothes as quickly as you can, and enjoy a hot chocolate sitting by a fire, is a fantastic feeling.\u00a0I have never felt so alive as I do at that moment. It&#8217;s invigorating. It gives you a lot of energy. I would highly recommend it. \u00a0Suzanna gives you all the advice on what to do and what not to do which is great. It gives you a lot of reassurance and confidence.&#8221;<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">As the interest in wild swimming goes from strength to strength across the UK, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.suzannaswims.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Suzanna Cruickshank<\/strong><\/a> warns those who are less experienced to take their time adjusting to the activity and not to plunge straight in.\u00a0Says Cruickshank:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"color: #33cccc;\">\u201cPeople who are considering wild swimming in winter need to know that it is a real challenge, mentally and physically due to the low temperatures and often inclement conditions.\u00a0It is not easy. You might find yourself a long way out from your comfort zone. It\u2019s not impossible, but I wouldn\u2019t recommend winter as the ideal time to take up wild swimming.&#8221;<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Instead beginners would be best advised to make it their New Year\u2019s resolution to take up the sport in the spring.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Cruickshank runs beginner classes from April to September and for first-timers favours the quiet, clear waters of Crummock Water where there will be no risk from any passing boats. Swimmers don&#8217;;t have to arrive race fit for the Olympics or anything like it to give wild swimming a go. Says Cruickshank:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"color: #33cccc;\">\u201cIt\u2019s an activity where if you\u2019re very slim it\u2019s actually a disadvantage. It helps if you have a bit of meat on your bones, to help insulate you from the cold.\u00a0It\u2019s also good to eat something nourishing and comforting afterwards &#8211; a slice of cake or soup. I favour a meat pie! Any food which will warm you up and reward you after a wild swim.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div id=\"attachment_407675\" style=\"width: 230px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-407675\" data-attachment-id=\"407675\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-hot-chocolate-by-the-fire-after-a-spot-of-winter-solstice-wild-swimming\/suzannacruickshank\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/SuzannaCruickshank.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"178,178\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"SuzannaCruickshank\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;SuzannaCruickshank&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Suzanna Cruickshank &#8211; author of Wild Swimming, out in April 2020 &#8211; Photo Courtesy: Suzanna Cruickshank&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/SuzannaCruickshank.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/SuzannaCruickshank.jpg\" class=\" wp-image-407675\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/SuzannaCruickshank.jpg\" alt=\"SuzannaCruickshank\" width=\"220\" height=\"220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/SuzannaCruickshank.jpg 178w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/SuzannaCruickshank-50x50.jpg 50w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/SuzannaCruickshank-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/SuzannaCruickshank-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 220px) 100vw, 220px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-407675\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laura Clarke\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">Cruickshank&#8217;s Top Tips<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\u201cDo take food, drink, and plenty of warm clothes. There\u2019s no changing room to get changed in, so it is really important to change into your warm clothes quickly afterwards.<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\u201cIdeally you should wear a down jacket, waterproofs on top to protect you from the wind, thermal base layers, and gloves and a hat.<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\u201cI\u2019ve seen people turn up with just a thin waterproof and think that will do the job. They might as well pull on a paper bag for all the protection it will give them.\u201d<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">Wetsuits, swim caps or woolly hats are recommended for beginners. Over time people will graduate to just wear their swimsuits if they want.<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\u201cIt\u2019s really important that you enter the water slowly and get acclimatised. If you jump in, there is a risk your body will go into shock.\u201d<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\u201cDon\u2019t go on your own. Always take someone with you. Go with a trusted friend.<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\u201cDon\u2019t ignore the weather. When there\u2019s rain hitting the windows and wind whipping across the water, it\u2019s going to be extremely challenging. Don\u2019t go that day. Leave it for another day.<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\u201cDon\u2019t bow to peer pressure and \u2018do it for the gram\u2019 (Instagram photo). It\u2019s easy to get suckered in by an inspirational photo on social media but you don\u2019t know how much time went into setting up the photo and how long they ultimately spent in the water. Put your safety first.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Benefits<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cI see wild swimming as good for everything and I see the mental health benefits as a by-product of all those things that you are doing,&#8221; says Cruickshank.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"color: #33cccc;\">\u201cYou are spending time with friends, in a beautiful place, doing an activity that pushes you mentally and physically, and when you get out and you have achieved something, there\u2019s that wonderful rush.\u00a0Also swimming is something that everyone can do. It\u2019s very accessible and isn\u2019t dependent on your fitness or size, or lots of specialist equipment.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In April 2020, Sheffield-based <a href=\"https:\/\/www.v-publishing.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Vertebrate<\/strong><\/a>, which specialises in rock climbing, walking and cycling publications, will publish Suzanna\u2019s guide &#8211; <em><strong>Swimming Wild In The Lake District.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">It will be Vertebrate\u2019s first swimming book and has been five years in the making for Cruickshank, who has researched &#8220;all the best places for wild swimming&#8221; in 13 of the Lake District\u2019s lakes. She says:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"color: #33cccc;\">\u201cWhen I first came to Cumbria from Coventry where I am from, I was interested in hill-walking. I walked, I ran and I cycled. I could not bear to be apart from the landscape.\u00a0Ever since I started wild swimming that\u2019s become the thing I can\u2019t do without. It\u2019s the freedom, space, somewhere to escape to. You can just step in and swim.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">And this weekend that will be celebrated in style when Cruickshank takes small groups, including Laura Clarke and her fiancee Dan, for Winter Solstice swims in Derwentwater.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"color: #33cccc;\">\u201cIt\u2019s the chance to celebrate something a little bit different. It\u2019s celebrating the days getting lighter from here. And what better place to do that than surrounded by nature in the Lake District?\u201d <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wild Swimming is becoming ever more popular. Below we dip a toe into the Winter Solstice swims in the Lake District of England. Some take the plunge into the cold,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7532,"featured_media":407669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,11,10],"tags":[120114,1597,52294,120117,120115,120113,120118,120116],"class_list":["post-407668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-open-water","category-world","tag-cartmell-shepherd","tag-christmas","tag-england","tag-lake-district","tag-laura-clark","tag-laura-clarke-and-fiance-dan-winter-wild-swimming-in-the-english-lake-district-ahead-of-the-winter-solstice-swims-on-the-eve-of-christmas-photo-courtesy-laura-clarke","tag-wild-swimming","tag-winter-solstice-swim"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>All I Want For Christmas Is Hot Chocolate By The Fire - After A Spot Of Winter Solstice Wild Swimming - Swimming World<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-hot-chocolate-by-the-fire-after-a-spot-of-winter-solstice-wild-swimming\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"All I Want For Christmas Is Hot Chocolate By The Fire - After A Spot Of Winter Solstice Wild Swimming\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wild Swimming is becoming ever more popular. Below we dip a toe into the Winter Solstice swims in the Lake District of England. Some take the plunge into the cold,\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-hot-chocolate-by-the-fire-after-a-spot-of-winter-solstice-wild-swimming\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Swimming World\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SwimmingWorld\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-12-19T10:56:21+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-12-19T12:07:44+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/LauraClarkewildsiwmming.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"960\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Craig Lord\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@swimmingworld\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@swimmingworld\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Craig Lord\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-hot-chocolate-by-the-fire-after-a-spot-of-winter-solstice-wild-swimming\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-hot-chocolate-by-the-fire-after-a-spot-of-winter-solstice-wild-swimming\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Craig Lord\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/f81fc3f5d0be27b50b7d6e4a217710c9\"},\"headline\":\"All I Want For Christmas Is Hot Chocolate By The Fire &#8211; 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