After much anticipation, I finally experienced the rite of passage for international peeps living in Finland during the winter months, COLD-water swimming (a.k.a. "*&%$ that's cold!") Not only was I a glutton for punishment once, but I enjoyed the pain and su
ffering so much I went for a cold-water dip 3 times (plus, I did it Friday night & Saturday night). For those that are mathematically challenged, that means 3x2= 6 dips in the frozen lake in 24 hours. Yes, some call it crazy...I call it frozen brain (too many dips makes you cold & stupified.)No, really it was a BLAST! You wal
k into the HOT sauna and immediately want to burst into laughter as you see 30 sweaty sardines packed into a small wooden room with a fire and coals. As you squeeze in, you swap sweat 
with your neighbor without a care in the world. You sit there until you feel that you can no longer breathe, that your inner soul may go up in flames. Then, oh so gracefully, you walk outside into the snowy environs, throw off your flip flops, and make your way
down the stairs and walk directly into the freezing-cold hole in the lake. At first, you think you might die because the cold just takes your breathe away...you try to scream but nothing comes out. A little swim around to the other side of the stairs and you walk up the stairs, out of the water. Then miracously, your body recovers ...your skin is cold, but your core is still hot and you're not cold or shivering. WHAT IS GOING ON? It is truly the strangest sensation. Then, you go into the common area, where people chill, drink beer or cider, before hitting the sauna again. And another round of sauna/cold water swimming. Wanna come to Finland???
k into the HOT sauna and immediately want to burst into laughter as you see 30 sweaty sardines packed into a small wooden room with a fire and coals. As you squeeze in, you swap sweat 
with your neighbor without a care in the world. You sit there until you feel that you can no longer breathe, that your inner soul may go up in flames. Then, oh so gracefully, you walk outside into the snowy environs, throw off your flip flops, and make your way
down the stairs and walk directly into the freezing-cold hole in the lake. At first, you think you might die because the cold just takes your breathe away...you try to scream but nothing comes out. A little swim around to the other side of the stairs and you walk up the stairs, out of the water. Then miracously, your body recovers ...your skin is cold, but your core is still hot and you're not cold or shivering. WHAT IS GOING ON? It is truly the strangest sensation. Then, you go into the common area, where people chill, drink beer or cider, before hitting the sauna again. And another round of sauna/cold water swimming. Wanna come to Finland???
14 comments:
AHHHHHHH Leasarrrr!!!!!I thought I'd get up and my legs would remain there!!!! holy crap that was unbelieavable :)))
Let's do that again, dude!!! Thanks for posting our (screaming) angel photo. xxxx
WOW! That is crazy! You brave soul you....
Katie (friend from Australia) and I did a similar thing, only we were in a small cabin in the woods with a little wood burning sauna near it. The lake was too far to run to, so we would alternate throwing buckets of water on each other (the water was pulled up from the water pump in the ground)...pretty fun!
Ali...another round this next weekend. Woohoo! It's addictive...
Ash, You are bloody crazy, but the visual is quite funny. Maybe they will have some cold-water swimming in Kiruna when we visit the ice-hotel and go on our dog-sled safari. Only 18 days away...woohoo!
Hey, congratualtions!! I knew I could trust you to follow up the brave souls from last years group :-)
I have never had the oppertunity to try a lake in the winter, but have tried sauna with jumping into loads of powder snow in the Norwegian mountains. Great experience! Looking forwards to seeing the picture you take at the ice hotel. The pictures they publish on the web always look spectacular. Have a great trip!!
Therese...you still have time! Come to Finland, after you have the baby, of course. Jennifer was here from Oslo and she was a three-time dipper too. Even Tea, our local Finn, joined in the fun. Pictures will be posted on classfronter soon. Hugs to you in Paris...L.
Wow, can't imagine just how cold the water is...but you guys make it look like fun!
Shouldn't you be studying or something? ;-)
Classic Post!!
If anyone would try this, it would be you, Leasa. Hope you don't freeze your tootsies. I've seen the pictures from our hottub in the back yard and the snow bunnies. Some people try anything for that thrill.
Hey Leasa, do you have an idea what the temperature was? When we went winter swimming (almost spring swimming actually - 'cause it was April already) the water was around 2 degrees C. I could imagine it must have been much colder and you did it at night at that!
Congrats!
Hey Catherine, we think the water was somewhere around -2C/28F. Today it was -25C/-13F. Damn, that's cold & we are even planning on going to the sauna/frozen lake this weekend. Expected temps: -20C/-5F. Now that will make the water feel WARM, at least that is what the Finns keep saying.
Leasa, it just sounds crazy to me the sauna idea.You seem be a trial lover...that I noticed with your efforts at trying everything back here in Oslo-getting guys along together and like that, and it worked out well!!!That's good. I love it.
Now You get the experience and translate it to others.Would never choose that aspect of life, but will love to be groomed to accepting that.
your team is the winning team!!!!!!!!!!
You are truely a crazy woman! I just cold looking at the pictures. :O
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