A spicy winter dip at Lady Falls Sgwd Gwladys plunge pool in the Brecon Beacons Bannau Brycheiniog
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- Опубліковано 15 гру 2023
- I found myself near to the Brecon Beacons in South Wales with some time to spare the other day. So I parked in Pontneddfechan to go in search of Lady Falls / Sgwd Gwladys for a waterfall dip. It was a delightful walk with frost, icicles and the Afon Pyrddin and her falls were partially frozen. It was certainly a chilly dip and one that I forgot to start my Garmin Fenix 6s watch, so I can only guess at the actual temperature.
I mentioned my friend and explorer Stuart he is always in and out of plunge pools and river pools, check out his channel @daleswildswim for swims to music.
Filmed on a GoPro Hero 12 and a Hero 10, edited on ipad using Lumafusion app.
Thank you for watching, if you would like to help fund the channel, please: buymeacoffee.com/NxDGgmwCP
Here is my Amazon page, where I list many of the items I use, through which I earn a small amount of commission, but which costs you nothing (this helps to fund my channel - thank you): www.amazon.co.uk/shop/everyda...
Kit used in this video:
changing robe by Vivida Lifestyle
swimming costume: Next, several years old
waterproof rucksack: wild-moose.co.uk/products/45l...
Lomo Tri-X gloves: amzn.to/3S34Tbs
I love spending time in, on or near blue spaces (water). There's plenty of ideas to awaken your blue mind with the Bluetonic winter challenge that I co-wrote: www.bluetonic.org.uk/winterch...
Based on the 5 ways to wellbeing, this challenge is a treat to the senses, it is designed to help you look after your mental health over the winter months when it is easy to get a bit sluggish and lack motivation. I am proud to be an ambassador for Bluetonic, a charity which focuses on creating opportunities to get people out into blue spaces to nourish their blue mind.
Join us over the winter months for some inspiration in blue spaces!
All proceeds will go to the Bluetonic charity, so make a difference to your life and to the lives of others who need support to access blue spaces.
The challenge runs from 29th October 2023 to 31st March 2024. Complete 1 challenge a week
For a £10 (£12 outside the UK) donation you will receive your:
‘Awaken your blue mind’ e-journal
List of 80 challenges
Access to our free Facebook group
And when you finish, your badge.
This year, there are even more challenges to keep you motivated over the winter months. You don't even need to like cold water swimming to take part - just be up for a challenge. Some are active, others are creative or mindful.
There is something for everyone. Why not have the whole family take part? There is a family donation for £20.
Come along and join me on my adventures / everydayathleterach
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If you think of a topic you would like to see me tackle, please comment.
Outdoor swimming is a fantastic activity to get involved in, browse my playlists to find out more:
get Involved with outdoor swimming • Get involved with outd...
winter swimming • winter swimming
mental health and wellbeing • mental health and well...
outdoor swimming: • Outdoor Swimming
outdoor swimming safety: • Outdoor Swimming Safety
All Things Changing Robe: • all things changing robe
outdoor swimming techniques: • outdoor swimming techn...
outdoor swimming equipment: • outdoor swimming equip...
swimming food: • Swimming Food
swim spot discovery: • Swim Spot Discovery
the great outdoors: • The Great Outdoors
all about tow floats • All about tow floats
See you in, on or around the water soon.
Rach
Really enjoyed this one, as we did that walk in the summer! Lovely to see it looking wintery. Thanks
What a beautiful spot it is, lovely in the summer too.
Fabulous, thanks Rachel! 👏👏🔥
Glad you liked it! It was a tingler!
❤
What a beautiful site, well done for braving the dip 👏🏻
It was amazing - the huge wall of rock felt like I was inside a bowl.
Well done Rachel. Thanks for taking us along to these lovely spots for your dips. best wishes for 2024 from Nova Scotia.
Went there myself as only an hour from home... but in the summer and we did 4 waterfalls then lunch! Lovely spot but does get very busy in nice weather!
Thanks Leslie, it's super to hear where in the world people are watching from. Have a great 2024, see you for more adventures soon x
Such a beautiful spot to have on your back door!
Hi Rachel, great video … it was lovely to meet you on zoom on Thursday. Looking forward to winter solstice swim/dip …
I really enjoyed the BlueTonic’s chat on Thursday it was super. Where will you get to solstice dip?
I’ve only just managed to get to watch this! You’ve entertained me whilst I ate my lunch! It looks amazing! What a beautiful spot! I hope you found a nice place for your hot drink and snack!! It’s so good to see you back in and enjoying the water!
I had the drink whilst I was stumbling along the path on the way back - it turned out a little more adventurous and I was losing the light so no real time to stop!
I loved the change in your voice, between your time in the water, then that post-dip euphoric phase during afterdrop and recovery. The world feels amazing during this bit. No head-dunk today, though!😉
Fabbo film.
I just love being in or around the water - I wanted to touch it and see how close to the actual column of water I could get!
Definitely looks like a spicy dip. Enjoy your adventure adventures :)
It was a bit chilly, but my 3 year old Tri-X gloves did me proud!
You are a warrior!
Bravo
Haha! Not really I just can't resist a dip in the water. I'm pretty determined to find a safe way in!
O. M. G. 😂
Bear Grylls the second,blimey Rachel that was very brave,going along the slippery path,and amazing icycals hanging from the rocks,bet you felt amazing after,brilliant vid bet it was near zero degrees,I went in our lake 5 degrees Saturday,it makes me feel alive when get out,keep safe .👍
The risk wasn't as high as the reward! It was a fabulous spot. I expect it was around 1 or 2ºC. I bet the lake was lovely, so long as there was little wind. Enjoy the water!
Brave dip! Co grats,Rach.
Thanks, it was just too tempting not to!
WoW Rachel, I could almost feel the rush of the water coming right through my screen. What a thrilling dip this must have been for you. I loved the dense green foliage, the rock formations and of course, the mini icicles hanging all about. Perhaps this was one of those magical dips that really piques one’s senses? Here in 🇨🇦, the winter has been so mild all across the country. Sadly, there has been several drownings recently in different provinces due to people falling through the thin ice on the lakes and rivers. This is one winter when I will definitely not be venturing out onto the ice on the local lakes... it’s way too dangerous and risky!! Thanks for bringing us along, the scenery was stellar and the vibe was perfect. Bring on more adventures like this one in 2024. Happy New Year🥳!! Ⓜary💕💦
Hey Mary, I had been wondering if you were having a mild Winter. Aside from a week long cold snap, ours has been really mild - very wet and windy. I just caught this one right (during that cold snap). It was an assault on the senses, such a hoot and an interesting feeling as the water had texture - felt like the start of a slushy drink. There were fragments of sort of slush on the surface, but frozen particles under the surface. I can imagine that people are dropping through ice if it's not as frozen as usual. Stay safe, keep warm and I'll swim for both of us. Happy New Year Mary!
You are remarkable ! The rush after that must of been something else
The anticipation, the tingle, the glow and the thrill of it really puts a spring in my step.
I've done all the usual mines and caves one does as a tourist as a kid and with kids. I got put off for life in the mine that's in the Great Orme, we were doing the scramble extra tour they had at the time and my son innocently pipes up "What happens if your get stuck?"
"Oh, we'll break your collarbones and bend you to get out. We only need your head and spine working," says the guide cheerily.
Still got dragged round Kilhope a year or so later, when there'd been heavy rain and they had opened it as it was just this side of safe. It started raining again, water started rising and flowing a bit faster and the guide was like "We'll be ok to finish, but you'll be the last group."
We went through the thing quickly and the guide threw up as we got out.
NEVER AGAIN.
I’m with you. That sounded like a couple of horror stories there! The moving water and cave mixture is the one that I find most alarming. Enjoy the water - in fresh air x
Well done, that woman! 👏 you'll have to take an ice axe next time lol
Ha! Not sure I fancy smashing ice, I worry about the sharp edges cutting me like glass without realising. I got cut on a frozen blade of grass the other day and only noticed when I saw blood! Wild.
Wow, that is amazing. I never knew a frozen blade of grass could do that!
What a dip!!!!! Absolutely stunning with the icicles! 🥶 you are brave!!!!
It was a beauty - I've never seen so many icicles before, and certainly not somewhere I was thinking of swimming!
Looks amazing , reminds me of swimming a Janet’s foss , just as we got in an entire school party turned up ! Hope they were impressed by 2 crazy women laughing in the water . Got a winter dip planned for Tuesday, I’ve not been in since October , I’m missing the buzz .
It did have some Janets Foss vibes, now you say it. Way less people though. Enjoy your dip on Tuesday - that'll be chilly. Don't forget your hot choc and a warm mince pie - the one time someone handed me a warm one it was literally the best post-swim snack ever - Christmas Day 2020, I think.
Halllooo Rachel! So nice to see you, beautiful scenery. It's about 30 degrees where I am, wondering how chilly this refreshing dip is?
Hi Melissa I forgot to start my watch so I don't actually know the water temp. The air temp was around 1ºC, and the water had some texture to it, a bit like a slushy drink, so I'd say it was probably around 1 or 2ºC. Cool enough to not stay in long!
Looks like the land that time forgot..... Beautiful.... Wales is an adventure playground. Stay safe... 😮😁
It is a cracking place with water at every turn. I’ve loved everywhere I’ve swum in Wales!
Greetings from Houston, Texas. You make your videos so interesting ! I like the education part also. ( Don’t know a lot about nature’s cold water).Keep up the good work 🩷🩵
Hey Rebecca, thank you for watching. Great to hear from Texas! How’s the temperature there now? I love a waterfall swim. Outdoor swimming is just lovely such fun and makes me feel so alive!
@@EverydayAthleteRach Warm weather here. 22.7 Celsius.
@@rebeccamandelos3164 🌅
@@EverydayAthleteRach ♥️
Gosh, you have guts !!! 🥶🥶🥶 Lol. That little lake with the cascade is an incrrrrrredible spot for a swim ! But with freezing water, it's beyond my capability I guess ! 😅
I'm a bit frustrated, though : I stopped swimming by the end of October (because I had an unexpected break of 2 weeks for family reasons) and then the weather turned bad and I have not got the courage to go back to the cold water. I'm looking forward to be able to swim again in May or June, when my mountain lake will be around 12-15°C. (Preferably 15° to start with, argh). I'm 58 and 20203 was my first year doing that, and partly thanks to your videos. I still hope to make 2024 a bit longer, and push it further. The lake is frozen in the winter, so I'll try the village fountains (by night, to avoid people here think I'm nut, he he he). 😂
Thanks for joining me virtually. I’m sorry you haven’t felt able to get back in the water lately Bernadine. Have you thought about just doing a short body dunk, in get your breath sorted and out? You’ll be surprised how few dunks it takes to reacclimatise. Where are you based? x
@@EverydayAthleteRach I live in the French speaking Swiss Alps area, but I prefer not to mention my location on internet. I hope you understand (and also to avoid my little paradise to be invaded, lol). The weather has been awful lately and my motivation to go plunge myself into cold water has virtually fallen to zero. Going to the lake is also rather time consuming, and riding the unfrequent autobus up there just for a few minute plunge is the reason for my brilliant idea of bathing in the village fountains during the winter. But I'd have to do it at night. And well... 😐 But I'm still super motivated to start again next year, and try to gradually switch to fountain dunks at the end of the season. If I can make it a routine, it will work, I'm sure ! In any case, I'll let you know.😊
I have bought a few stuff to be able to go to some other swimming spots some day. There are a lot of nice places to wild swim in Switzerland ! 🙂
@@bernardinelermite1133 I can totally understand not revealing your location online, I was just trying to get a feel for where in the world, rather than precisely. I guess when it gets that cold you have to content yourself with looking at or sliding on frozen water! I do like the fountains at night idea though - would be fantastic under a starry sky! Good luck!
@@EverydayAthleteRach Thank you Rachel ! 🙂
Thanks for taking us with your freezing adventure! Love it! Regards from Berlin! Have a Nice Christmas and Happy New year!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for joining me! Have you got snow there? Happy Christmas and New Year!
@@EverydayAthleteRach Thanks! We had a really nice one-week-winter which is quite rare in our city. That week was stable around minus 5, now againwet and grey☹️ .
Happy holidays!
Swimming with icicles!! Hardy. Your swim varieties make me feel very tame. We always swim in the same place (except for the odd holiday dip). Happy swimmy Christmas!
Hi Fiona, I often swim at the same place, at the beach nearby. I just keep kit in my car for if I get an inkling of an opportunity when I'm out and about for work or other stuff. I'm lucky that I end up travelling around quite a bit and can shoehorn swimming diversions in! Happy swim Christmas to you too x
What a fabulous looking swim, how do you find out about all these places?
I research areas to swim using google maps - hills + water is likely to have something interesting going on and I get a steer on the area through this book which almost lives in my car: wildthingspublishing.com/product/wild-swimming/
Thank you, I will have a word with Santa see if he can get me a copy 🎅
Hi Rachel, thanks for another fantastic video of you showing us how adventurous we can be with our wild swims! I recently had a swim in Keeper's Pond in South Wales. It was frozen over but some earlier swimmers had broken into it that morning, so I went in too. It was my first proper ice swim and there were two notable things: the first thing was a magical tinkling noise like a chandelier when I swam about. The second thing was I didn't notice the ice had cut my legs getting in until after I got out and wondered why there was blood all down my shins! I didn't feel a thing. That was my best swim so far, I loved it. I have a question for you - Have you ever gone winter swimming when you've been ill, such as with a cold or recovering from flu? I'm wondering if it would help recovery or set me back. I've had a flu type thing for two weeks and can't wait to get back to the water, but I don't know if I should wait until I'm 100% again. I would appreciate your thoughts on this because I'm new to winter swimming and don't know anyone who does it. Thanks 🙂
Keeper' Pond is a beautiful spot so wild-seeming, but so easy to get to. It was. bit fruity on the wind front when I turned up so I just looked and didn't get in. The tinkling sound I beautiful isn't it, but the risk of a cut going unnoticed is quite high. I made this video about swimming with a cold: ua-cam.com/video/j4w5L9qw7xQ/v-deo.html
@@EverydayAthleteRach Thank you so much for your reply and link, that's given me all the info I needed 🙂
Awesome place. Did you mention anything about the water temperature? I was wondering what it was. I have done only a few nature dips. I’m always mindful of protecting myself from bacteria entering my body when I go for a dip in these natural settings. Do you? I really like watching your adventures. Congratulations on living your life this way, and thank you for the inspiration. Keep going!
I didn't mention the water temp because I forgot to start my watch so didn't record it. I would say it was below 3ºc though, it had a funny texture, a bit like thin slush. I wasn't worried about bacteria. I didn't have any cuts and the water was clear. I have only been sick a couple of times, swimming outdoors after a lot of rain. I don't swim if it has rained hard or for a long period, I leave it 2 to 3 days to clear. I wasn't 100% sure I'd swim that day, but after checking it out and the fact there was no wind (to stop me getting too cold when changing) I decided to give it a go. Thanks for watching, Rach :)
@@EverydayAthleteRach thank you so much for your reply. I know more now than what I did when I typed my message. Thank you sharing your knowledge. I’ll see you on your next adventure.
You are amazingly brave to have got in. I think the icicles and frosty leaves on the walk would have gradually made me enjoy the view and imagine going in. Well you did. Really good waterfall too. UK boasts really fabulous landscapes
It was too tempting, once I got close enough to see an easy and safe route in. Major bonus of being able to leave my changing robe on the pebble island. I'll be back again!