Events

swimwild highland gathering

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scottish winter swimming championships

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BEING SOCIAL…

Teamwork makes the dream work! 🧊⁠🔨💪😍

Teamwork makes the dream work! 🧊⁠🔨💪😍⁠
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Icy loch ✅⁠
Multiple sledgehammers ✅⁠
Many ice clearers ✅⁠
A good variety of woolly hats ✅⁠
Cheshire cat grins ✅⁠
A bunch of happy ice dippers ✅⁠
Post-swim cake ✅ (thanks Fiona!) ⁠
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📷️ Bernie McGee⁠
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#icedip #breakingtheice #teamwork #icehole ⁠

❄️🥶 River Ice! 🥶❄️ You know it's RE

❄️🥶 River Ice! 🥶❄️

You know it's REALLY cold when even fast flowing rivers and waterfalls start to freeze! 🧊🥶🧊

Lower Pattack Falls in the Strathmashie Forest never fails to take our breath away 😍🌲💦

It's normally a safe bet for ice-free dipping but not this time!*

We've been getting close to -20°C overnight temperatures in the Cairngorms and the air temperature was still -10°C when we dipped 🥶🥶🥶

Time to get the sledgehammer out, even for the rivers! 🔨❄️🧊💪

*Please note, we swim here regularly, risk assess before entry, are all well acclimatised to these temperatures and know what the conditions are like underfoot. ⚠️ See our previous post for more information about ice safety.

#riverice #ice #iceicebaby #iceswimming #winterswimming #iceswim #icedip #breakingtheice #pattackfalls #riverpattack #cairngorms #cairngormsnationalpark
#visitcairngorms #winterswim #coldwater #winter #sub5degrees #swimwildandfreezing #zenosswimclub #thestoics #wildswimmingscotland #riverswimming #subzero #coldlove #icedippers

The ICE is back! 🧊🥶❄️⁠ ⁠ Sub-zero te

The ICE is back! 🧊🥶❄️⁠
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Sub-zero temperatures mean that ice is forming on our lochs (and lakes). For those of us who LOVE the cold, it's easy to get overexcited and forget the dangers of breaking the ice for our winter dips 🔨💪🧊 ⁠
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Things to consider...⁠
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⁠🧊 Types of ice ⁠🧊⁠
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⁠🧊 Thin ice is seriously SHARP!! Be very careful of your exposed skin when getting in and out. It is very easy to cut yourself, sometimes without realising, when your skin is really cold.⁠
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⁠🧊 Ice slush (normally a thin layer of ice with frozen snow on top) is very rough. You can come out with lots of scratches and grazes if you are not careful. ⁠
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⁠🧊 Thicker ice is hard to break. A heavy, blunt implement, like a sledgehammer, works best to break it up. A snow shovel is good for scooping broken shards of ice out of the ice channel.⁠
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⚠️ Ice Safety ⚠️⁠
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🧊 NEVER walk out across the ice, even if it looks like it could take your weight. ⁠
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⁠🧊 Only break the ice somewhere you already swim regularly when it is not frozen. It is important that you know what is going on under the water/ice. Ideally, you want somewhere with a solid footing, a gently sloping entry, no rocks to trip over or sudden drop-offs into deeper water.⁠
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⁠🧊 Wear neoprene gloves & socks/boots (at least 5mm ideally). Your extremities are extremely delicate and at risk from non- freezing cold injuries when exposed to very cold temperatures. Any damage caused to the tissue & capillaries can be temporary but in some cases permanent so you need to be careful. You really want to have functioning fingers when you get dressed afterwards.⁠
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⁠🧊 Don’t expect to spend long in the water. I normally break the ice, dunk my shoulders under, do a few strokes and get out. This is enough to get a huge post-swim buzz, without risking staying in the water for too long.⁠
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⁠🧊 Get dry & dressed immediately after. Have a lot of warm layers & a woolly hat to put on and get moving (walking, jumping jacks, jogging on the spot) to start warming up again.⁠
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#ice #iceswimming #breakingtheice #icehole #icedip

❄️ Hello Snow! ❄️⁠ ⁠ The Cairngorms Na

❄️ Hello Snow! ❄️⁠
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The Cairngorms National Park has turned into a winter wonderland, and we are certainly making the most of it! ⁠
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A glorious slushy ice dip in Loch Morlich with the Cairngorms Wild Swimmers! 😍🧊❄️🏊‍♀️ ⁠
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Can't wait to do it all again today!⁠
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#snow #slush #ice #lochmorlich #cairngorms #cairngormsnationalpark #visitcairngorms #scotland #highlands #winterswimming #winterswim #coldwater #iceswimming #sub5degrees #swimwildandfreezing #zenosswimclub #thestoics #swimwild #wildswim #wildswimming #wildswimmingscotland #swimwilduk #loveswimming #happyswimming #sharetheswimlove #swimwildandfree #outdoorswimmingsociety #outdoorswimmer #outdoorswimming #ukwildswimmers

💙 🔥 Mini Hot Water Bottles! 🔥💙⁠ ⁠

💙 🔥 Mini Hot Water Bottles! 🔥💙⁠
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Chilly temperatures can mean frozen fingers 🥶 but these teeny-tiny hot water bottles are our favourite post-swim finger warmers! ⁠
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Pop them inside your boots/socks/gloves/hat while you're swimming, and tuck them in your pockets when you get out. ⁠
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They're an essential part of our winter swimming kit! ⁠❄️🏊‍♀️❄️⁠
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Perfect Christmas gifts for your swim pals (or yourself!)⁠
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Available in the SwimWild shop - see link in bio.⁠
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⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ We have limited stock remaining, and these little beauties normally sell out very quickly. Get your orders in soon to avoid disappointment (or chilly hands!) ⁠
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Last postage date for Christmas orders - 13th December 🎅🎄⁠
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#warmhands #postswimkit #supportsmallbusiness #swimgear #outdoorgear

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