Monthly archive 10/2011

Long distance open water swimming takes place during the summer months with an average water temperature of 18-22c. Occasionally the water temperature can drop in a smaller body of water after a period of cold weather or heavy rainfall. 16c is quite cold when the swimmer has been in the water for 2 hours. Hence one of the difficulties that swimming across the English channel presents is upwards of 10 hours in 16/17c water. FINA, the governing body actually doesn’t allow competitions when the water drops below 15c.
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South Africans Ram Barkai and Andrew Chin have been pushing the boundaries of extreme cold water swimming for several years having swum in various places including Antarctica. After a stamina sapping 43 minute (2.3km) swim in 4c Lake Zurich in 2009 Barkai stated

“That was an experience that gave me a sight of the end of The envelope. I decided I want to explore these types of swims, how far, how long, how cold, etc… and The best way was to formalize it, establish a formal body to regulate these swims and from that spread The word and share The experience of every ice swimmer around The world.”

Consequently, the international ice swimming asssociation was born. In the words of Barkai the aims of the association are

“To understand ice swimming better. Its impact on the human body. The role of the human mind in the process and to formalise ice swims around The world. Gain experience from everyone around The world.”

A positive development for extreme cold water swimming, who knows, perhaps in the future winter swimming could be a part of the winter olympics?

Ram Barkai

Starting the 300m subterranean voyage

The Moravian Karst close to Blansko in the district of Moravia in the Czech Republic is a magical subterranean world of abysses, spectacular caves and a mysterious underground river that springs from deep with the karst system – Punkva.

The area was first widely explored in the 18th century and since then it has been a hive of activity for speleologists and geologists and since the 1950′s….winter swimmers!

The famous Oldrich Liska from Prague first swam within the caves by taking a boat trip and then simply jumping into the cold water for the return journey.

He came back several times and along with the well known speleologist and diver Karel “Tunnel” Divisek and other prominent long distance and winter swimmers. Thus the tradition of swimming down the Punkva river in the Moravian Karst was born. for the last 60 years the opening of the winter swimming season in the Czech republic has been held here and every year it is over subscribed. This year, in 2011 around 50 swimmers were unlucky enough to have their applications refused and a total of 177 entered the cave system by boat and swum back out to the open wide world.

This kind of swim in an underground river with a constant water temperature of around 8c, surrounded by amazing Karst formations such as stalactites is a unique experience. The venue, the atmosphere and the incredible feeling of reaching the real world again after a short voyage in the underbelly of the earth combined with the actual swim itself to make this an unforgettable event – even for those winter swimmers who have experienced it many time before.

Enjoy the photos and watch out as in a few weeks there will be a short video from this amazing event published right here! That alone is worth coming back for.

From left, Bright, Kurina & Benes

Early autumn is a transitional period for open water swimmers. The main season finishes as the water is beginning to call down as the air temperature at night drops dramatically and doesn’t get above 10c until lunchtime here in central europe. The there is generally a pleasnt afternoon until again the mercury plummets with the sunset in the early evening.

Consequently the Labe (Elbe) river was just 13.8c on the final sunday of September. Three swimmers decided to swim from Hradec Kralove to Pardubice, a total distance of some 27km when factoring in the winding nature of the river between these two towns.

Assured by organiser and participating swimmer Jiri Kurina that there was more water and therefore a stronger current to help us than last year when it took around 5.5 hours to swim 21kilometres the 3 of us ste off at 8.45 with high hopes of a trouble free passage and maybe some late afternoon, post swim sunbathing.

After manging the first 6km in around 1h 55m, it was clear that although this wasn’t the English channel, it also wasn’t going to be easy. At this point we had to leave the water briefly and re enter a few metres downstream of the weir. Bananas and tea were consumed as the shivering started and although the water was just over 14c it still felt fairly frosty as we made our way again. The water was shallow and fast flowing and the following 45 minutes was an interesting swim with little sunlight as the narrow river was surrounded by thick tree cover. Then, the first big problem struck but with a support canoe not a swimmer. The canoe got lodged inbetween the branches of a large tree at a rather fast flowing point. Swimmers swam against the current and helped effect a rescue and after 20 minutes or so the journey could continue. But, there was a casualty at this point as Jirka Benes succumbed to cramp and withdrew leaving just 2.

Jiri "salmon" Kurina striking for home

The difficult passage continued for sometime and the water began to warm up in a few places which produced a pleasant sensation for a few seconds followed by an equally unpleasant sensation as the swimmers returned to colder water.

A short break followed at small island spit and then after another 30 minutes or so of swimming, the second of the 3 swimmers, Jack Bright, gave in to the cold after over 5 hours in the water. Around 18km had been swum and it wasn’t long before the river would get up top a stable 17c but Bright was constantly shivering and had been battling to keep going for a while. He obviously needs to eat more!

The final 8km was fairly strightforward in the 17c water although the final swimmer left going (Jiri Kurina) had now been swimming all day.  Kurina showed yet again his huge reserves of stamina and strong determination not to mention his ability to repel the cold. Sometime around 6.30 he made it to the finish in Pardubice, some 9.5 hours and 27km after getting into the water.

Lone swimmer Kurina as seen from a support Kayak