A WILD swimmer from Hartford took a ‘soothing’ solo dip in Pickmere when it was minus eight degrees outside.
Autumn Lea took the plunge as the sun went down on Monday, January 5, with the whole UK in the grip of the deepest cold snap it has seen this winter.
“The ice was thick enough to stand on,” the mum-of-two said.
“I had to use my torch to smash a whole in the ice as I had forgotten my hammer that day.”
Autumn, a criminal investigator, has been visiting Pickmere since the 1980s when she was a keen windsurfer.
She has been visiting the lake for cold water swimming sessions for around eight years, but it is only in the last three she has been going all year round.
The 48-year-old does not even wear a wetsuit, just a long-sleeved swimming costume, a woolly hat, and neoprene boots and gloves.
While she went alone on January 5, she bumped into a professional photographer, out to catch some glorious winter landscapes, who helped her record the experience on camera.
“It was a beautiful day and the sky was gorgeous at sunset," she added.
“Pickmere is such a beautiful place at any time of year.
“I was in for about five minutes. How long you can stay in varies from person to person. You have to listen to your own body.
“At this time of year, there’s no one else there. You get all the peace, tranquillity, and other benefits of being in that beautiful place without the crowds.
Asked how she feels when she takes her hammer to the ice ahead of a dip, she said: “It’s pure excitement now.
“I don’t get that should-I-shouldn’t-I battle anymore because I love it so much, and I know how wonderful it's going to make me feel.
“It is both soothing and invigorating. It’s like a reset for my body and mind.
“You feel renewed, rejuvenated, refreshed, and you get a real mental and physical glow.
“It has helped no end with my menopausal symptoms.
“Preparation, including breath work, is really important as it helps you overcome your body’s natural fight or flight response.
“Slow emersion is important too. When it’s that cold, jumping straight in is dangerous. There’s no doubt about that.
“The key is to keep going from the end of summer as the temperature starts to drop.
“That way, you don’t feel it quite so much.
“You still do a bit though."
Autumn acknowledged this issues with visitor numbers at Pickmere, but added at sunset in January, her presence was unlikely even to be noticed.
She added: “In know there is a lot of controversy around Pickmere, but in my experience, the swimmers are very respectful.
“They don’t create a lot of noise or disturbance, and some of the groups even do litter picks while they’re there.
“Open water swimmers are such a friendly, non-judgemental community.
"I would recommend it to anyone."
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