Happy Bank Holiday Monday!
I think I did all of the walking, jogging and swimming that I am trying to do in this challenge as well as bumping, slipping and sliding today!
I decided to make the most of the bank holiday and arranged an outdoor swim via facebook with some friends, some new friends and some people we had never met before. I have made some lovely friends through doing these events so it's nice to open it to anyone. Trina, Emma, Emily, Pat, Tina, Chris, Jo, Verity, Rachel and I - we were today's team making the most of the sunshine! Poor Chris having to put up with so many women!
Meeting at Barden Bridge at 10.30, we left some cars with the clothes, towels and picnic at the finish point and drove up in the other cars in wetsuits to Appletreewick where we entered the water. Emily was a very good "pack horse" for the day, carrying a rucksack full of vital equipment like hot drinks and chocolate!
We started out in a very shallow part and meandered our way the 2 miles down the river back to the cars. It was a full list of conditions to swim in, from shallow rocky parts where you had to lie completely flat and drift down, bumping and bashing your way down, to deep parts where you can jump in. The group was well matched with some staying in the whole time, some getting out and walking parts, and I am very proud of Emma who's only 2nd time wild swimming, managed to stay in until she was very cold, and then walked down the towpath with her daughter Emily to keep warm and kept an eye on us! Most of the rest of the group are outdoor swimmers and hardened to the freezing cold water that we were swimming in!
My favourite part of the day and of this stretch of river is in the wood and swimming around the boulders. It's just so pretty, deep and magical I forget how cold it is. A friend once said "if we weren't swimming here, I'd be very jealous of us!" and this is exactly how I feel. Over more rocks, into the shallows and finally we all got out a short distance from the bridge - we were cold, it was very shallow and all were in need of our picnic!
A quick jog up the hill for a bit of warmth was in order and then stripping off in the field to get dry and nice warm clothes on before a long leisurely picnic! I hope that everyone had a nice time and that I haven't put Emma off swimming again..... must go out to the river more often....
Lovely pictures here.....
Love Iona x
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