Come on in! The exhilarating joy of outdoor ice-bathing

The popularity of outdoor swimming has soared during lockdown. These bathers are even breaking the ice to go for an endorphin-releasing winter dip

The path to the water is treacherous. The snow has covered the ice making it slippery underfoot. It is 7.45 am and dark, but my friend Vicky and I have head torches and the moon is bright.

Our walk – prior to lockdown 2021 – is through the woods and down the path to the edge of Threipmuir reservoir in the Pentland hills, just south of Edinburgh. It is impossible to tell where the water starts as everything is covered in a thick layer of snow. And the snow is also coming down in earnest, landing on our eyelashes and into our dry bags, as we unpack and start to undress.

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* This article was originally published here