Going for an ice-cold swim: a dream

Diving into ice-cold water or even swimming a few laps in it – this freezing pleasure is becoming more and more popular in South Tyrol’s bathing lakes. Body, mind and soul equally benefit from diving into the wintry waters.

The very sight of South Tyrol’s picturesquely situated bathing lakes in winter is a fairytale experience. The magical silence that the blanket of snow casts over the trees, reeds and paths is in itself unique. Nowadays, there are more and more adventurous people who are not satisfied with just seeing this or with taking an equally delightful walk around the frozen water, but instead want to immerse themselves more deeply into this experience.

At the beautiful Lake Monticolo in Appiano, nestled in a mixed Mediterranean forest, for example, there is a regular group of people who don’t want to go ice skating or curling, but rather dive into the freezing water of the lake – without a wetsuit, in normal swimming gear, of course.

“It starts with the courage to get into the water in the first place,” says one of the men who have succumbed to this fascination. Then it is a matter of dealing with the cold shock. Your body immediately goes into emergency mode – it’s just a matter of trying to breathe properly and not to pant. “It’s similar to yoga, the focus is on coordinating breathing and movement,” the man from Bolzano explains, who has only been swimming in the icy water regularly for a year. In the timeperiod it is possible, that is.

When you come out, the physical effect is a powerful heating effect and a huge adrenaline rush. “The kick and the resulting positive emotions are not gone straight away, the effect lasts for hours,” he says, adding that even work meetings are much easier and more pleasant afterwards.

The emotions that rise up once you’ve made up your mind are unparalleled – and the feelings of happiness are similar to an intoxication. The difference is that the effect has a positive impact on the lives of those who indulge in this passion – which, by the way, has been scientifically proven. Psychologists recommend regular bathing in cold water for those suffering from depression.

Incidentally, Paul Dalsass, a resident of Appiano, started ice swimming in Lake Monticolo over 20 years ago. The hype that is currently being created around this subject is not his cup of tea: “Ice swimming is really being glorified and made big. But it’s really about something else: it’s about the experience as a whole, about the peacefulness of nature, the mist on the lake that you see when you emerge, turning the external images into inner ones,” he says. To really understand this experience, I guess you have to experience it.

As a competitive swimmer, Italian champion and Olympic participant many times over, he realised that he needed something that was good for his mental health, away from the pursuit of performance and success. In summer, he seeks out mountain lakes, and in autumn and winter, he heads down into the valley.

Nowadays he regularly meets with like-minded people and jumps straight into the deep end. “What we do is not something out of a manual, and it’s not possible for everyone,” he explains. Meanwhile, there are numerous guidebooks and techniques for tackling ice swimming and bathing as carefully and safely as possible. First and foremost, there are special breathing exercises that should be practised before entering the water. While this method is definitely recommended for beginners, Dalsass prefers to stick to his gut feeling: “I observe my body very closely and react to it.” For even an experienced ice swimmer like him, the cold shock is not unavoidable. “It’s there every time,” he admits. Deep breathing and conscious movement is the motto. You can stay in the icy water from a few minutes to a maximum of half an hour, depending on the water temperature and how you feel.

Being in the moment is what makes it special, the need to reflect on the very moment that is so healing for the soul and spirit of people today. Stressed managers, entrepreneurs, highly ambitious people and many others can find themselves and their inner peace here. The spirits after the ice bath are high due to the adrenaline rush, and there’s a lot of fun among the group. “The conversations take on a different kind of depth,” Dalsass says.

Besides ice swimming, there is also ice bathing, for those who perhaps wish to take it a little easier: In this case, the bather climbs into a hole that is specially cut into the lake and then remains in the icy water, depending on the ability and physical condition.

Good for the body – good for the mind – but always safe

Bathing and swimming in ice on a regular basis have equally positive effects on people: Studies have shown that tension and fatigue are reduced, and the hormonal and cardiovascular systems are supported. Study participants also indicated improvements in asthma, in rheumatism and in fibromyalgia. However, it takes either the appropriate preparation, or expert guidance, for this pleasure to be practised in safety, especially by those who are inexperienced.

As not everyone likes to venture out alone into the icy cold, or would prefer to be accompanied by someone experienced, there is now also a guide you can book to go ice-bathing together: Philipp Schraut, a hiking guide and adventure educator who lives in Parcines, has already escorted people across the country on this adventure and shown them beautiful places. The Tret Lake and the Braies Lake are just a few of the locations to which he is drawn, either alone or with his groups. Meanwhile, the guided ice baths are in great demand.

Tips for the curious

– Ice bathing and ice swimming are only suitable for physically healthy individuals, not for people with heart or circulatory problems.

– It is more important to listen to your own body than to follow any rules.

– As a rule of thumb, the bathing time increases by 1 minute per degree of water temperature, so in 3 °C cold water you should not stay in the water for longer than 3 minutes. The time may increase for experienced swimmers.

– In order to cope with the extreme body reactions, it is important to fully concentrate on breathing and to take breaths as deeply and evenly as possible.

– It is recommended to get used to the ice water slowly, for example by taking a cold shower every day.

A scientifically recognised method exists, the “Wim Hof Method”, which uses a special breathing technique to enrich the body with extra oxygen before the ice bath so that it can better cope with cold, but also with heat.