THE 'SCALE' OF NATURE

THE 'SCALE' OF NATURE

A bit of a walk he said, then a swim....did I hear the magic words, walk then swim....I was in!!!! So after a spot of breakfast then the drive to the Lake District, we arrived on the A66....hum....this is not quite what I had in mind. Parking up, rucksacks and wetsuits out of the car, and having looked around I tentatively asked.....where’s the water? It’s a bit like a carrot and stick syndrome for me, if there’s a swim involved you can pretty much get me to do anything (please don't test me on this one......ok go on then do!!!) But looking round I could not see a jot of water....was I being conned here! Apparently not, I was informed that there was a 'bit of a hill' to go up and then it would be there sparkling and shimmering in front of me!

Bit of a hill.....never again will I be taken in with those words...bit of a hill....those words amongst others got muttered all the way up....you see I love hills and I love going up them, but I do not like doing it while carrying anything other than my camera, to do so with anything else is a pain up the backside to say the least. So carrying a rucksack with clothing for every eventuality from heat wave to snow blizzard, after all we were in the Lake District, and a wetsuit, was not my idea of fun. Shedding layers faster than a moulting cat, I continued onwards and upwards. This hill, I rapidly determined was not a hill....in fact by what I THOUGHT was half way up....I was cursing said hill, which only has several varieties of level of gradient.....steep, very steep and oh my god how steep! Getting seriously fed up of carrying the rucksack and wetsuit, it hinders my normal mountain goat approach to such hikes; I devised a cunning plan, at a map check stop I asked if my wetsuit could be carried for me, of course the reply came, one down one to go! Now a hill to me is something where you can see the top.....this ‘hill’ appeared not to have a top....it just carried on going up, I was starting to feel the need for Nepalese Sherpa’s and oxygen.

Stage two of ridding myself of cumbersome hindrances....could you hold my rucksack for me please. Yes of course came the reply, yippee....free of all burdens I rapidly turned my back and finally was able to stretch my legs and started running. Now when I say running please do not think there was any speed in the run.....this ‘hill’ did not conform to allow any kind of speed, but I was finally able to move faster than a snail’s pace and quickly put some distance between myself and the two legged pack horse that was now complaining about ‘the hill’. Stopping regularly to check I was on the right track and getting likened to a Labrador and Spaniel in my ability to run off then spin round to check on the ‘walkers’ progress did not dampen my enthusiasm, then finally at the point where we were nearly at the top a quick breath stop and a 360 degree turn and there it was revealing itself ....the water! Scales Tarn lay before me, breath takingly stunning.

Breath taking as the ‘hill’ was, the water and its setting was more so. A tarn so blue and sparkling surrounded in the protective caress of the mountains around it, great swathe of scree sloping downwards like fingers on a hand, the refection of the mountain in the water. Even if you were not a swimmer you could not have failed to have seen the beauty in it. It made me stop my ascent and just stand panting in awe, oh and the exertion of running vertically.

Calling down to the two legged pack horse (named Geoff) that I could see water, I was asked to come and get either the wetsuit or rucksack....surprisingly at that point my selective deafness kicked in and off I bounded descending towards the water.

And then it happened, I spied other humans....at the water’s edge....what!!!! Are you telling me I had walked / ran all that way ....and there were others there...not a hope of me sharing that patch of oasis with anyone today! The water looked too precious to share....regardless I carried on bounding down the soft spongy moss aiding my rapid descent. Thoughts of me losing my footing and ending up on Helicopter rescues (a TV series covering the emergency services) fleeted through my head. A shout from above halted me...my Sherpa had now grown weary of carrying my kit so I ran back up grabbed it and carried on my run down the ‘hill’, half way down I was relieved to see the people that had been testing the water moving on.

And all of a sudden, I was there, at the water’s edge, it truly is breath taking. The slate from the mountains have aided the water to an incredible blue coloured water, it’s clear from the water’s edge and as I would find out right to the bottom of the tarn. The sun started to make an appearance perfected the image in front of me with a mirrored reflection on the water’s surface of the surroundings around me.

How do you sum up the spectacle of nature that has been formed without the aid of mankind’s lack of imagination, for no man could have produced such a perfect feature in such a rugged landscape, nor could he have dreamt up such a walk to get to it! It simply was one of nature’s secrets and now it was revealed to us. Those of you that have struggled to put on a wetsuit whilst hot and perspiring will understand the frustration of felt with the sheer difficulty of persuading a wetsuit that it wants to cover my body. But eventually I managed to get the neoprene on and I was ready.

By why did I hesitate, I will tell you, this water is perfect, its blue, pan flat, not  a ripple, its invitation to swim is seductive, I simply wanted to savour the moment of anticipation, I had not even dipped a finger to test the temperature. I trusted this water; I was ready for its embrace and would welcome its caress as it entered my wetsuit to cool me down. I wanted to be seduced by the scene in front of me, the perfect blue of the water, not a whisper of sound, the sun peaking through, it was a moment to be savoured, there was no race to be won, I would be the first one in, Geoff behind me wrestling with his wetsuit. I loved the anticipation of what lay before me.

Stepping in was magical, the heat disappearing from my overly hot feet from running was amazing. Each step the muscles of my calves were thanking me for the instant cold water therapy they were receiving...but then the inevitable happened. As most of you will know, us open water swimmers will pee in our wetsuits to warm ourselves up....but I was not in deep enough to do this, plus I thought that the moisture I had expelled during the run meant there would be nothing spare...added to that up until ‘that’ moment I had not felt the urge once!!! Was this the neoprene or the water causing this reaction...never thought about it until that moment. Geoff was entering the water, giving the same satisfied noises I had made earlier. 

Going deeper and deeper into the water I became aware of voice....hell no, please tell me no one was going to join us, peering round I could not see anyone at ground level, the voices were coming from above, 4 climbs on the ascent of Sharp Edge (aptly named from where I was stood) were stood watching us! Ha....bet they were amazed!

Eventually the water hit a height where peeing was permitted, bliss!!!! Heat spreading through the wetsuit, I plunged in. The sight before me will be forever imprinted in my head, crystal clear water, deep, amazingly blue, the view below spectacular to say the least. I surfaced grinning; this is what wild swimming is all about. Swimming to the centre of the tarn, eyes glued to the sight below me, lungs literally screaming at me, I could not help but wish I had brought a snorkel, it was clear, clean, all around me an uninterrupted view of the bottom of the tarn. Not a weed or fish in sight, just uninterrupted view!

Swimming round and round, going from edge to edge marvelling at the sight below, I literally did not want to get out, the water temperature 14 degrees, it felt just right. Any fatigue I felt from the run was rapidly exiting my body. The tingle of cold kissing my skin felt like a lovers kiss, made you shiver but felt good. Lying on my back I could see the climbers stood watching, I crossed my mind briefly how warm they must be after such a trek but I was there relishing the waters effects. Mentally I felt calm and refreshed, physically cooled and alive. The camera started getting used, diving under and clicking away; I knew the camera would not do justice to the sight before me. Diving down and trying to get to the bottom, legs and arms working hard but getting nowhere near, it’s wonderfully deep but still so clear. Breaking the water’s surface, still grinning, I am met with the sight of house martins, tons of them, where had they come from, as they dive bombed around us, in between us and over us, grabbing at the flies we were stirring up. The back drop of the ‘hill’ around us added to the moment, looking up as far as you could see....hill!!!

Eventually the time to exit the water came, but even then it was done slowly, the slate and stones glistened in front of us, demanded their share of attention, we literally swam and glided until there were only inches of water between us and the requirement to stand. But reluctantly stand we did, not a word, the grins said it all. Getting changed still silent....did we really have to leave the water and go back to reality. We did not want to; it was too special a place.

Fully dressed the walk back to the car was filled with chatter and the sharing of a chocolate bar, (carried my own rucksack back to the car! And yes all the way!), had we really just swam in this place, was it really as fab as it looked, and where would be the next swim. Food was required then a pin in the map to the next watery heaven! The views on the descent were equally as amazing, the camera should have been glowing red hot the amount it’s been used. Again the mountain goat in me came to the surface; the rucksack did not feel too bad now, so off I trotted back down.

Getting down to the car the grin was so wide I felt it would never stop. Wow what a hidden gem! Next on the agenda....food!!! Food duly consumed, it was time to head home, but wait, I had been promised a second swim. The thought of swimming in Derwent water after the spectacle of wonder we had just entered did not appeal, so we headed for Ullswater.

Finding a car park I rapidly adorned my spare wetsuit....and waded in, this time solo in the water. 17 degrees!!1 This really was my day for swimming, I was in heaven, again the water clear at the start, but then the complete opposite...depth and weed, swimming through these the water became cloudy then very cloudy as the depth increased. Geoff had been joined by others to sit on the rocks on the water’s edge. I am sure he must have been bored waiting for me to exit the water, but wait he did as I did my best otter impression. The scenery with the rolling hills around me was wonderful, the waters swell helping me bob along nicely. A few folk sitting on the shore thought me nuts....yep that’s about right but wow what a day of swimming. Next swim on the agenda Bowscale Tarn...with whatever else I can fit in as a secondary swim on the day.

Next day summary....legs have been lost, thighs are sooo sore but in a pleasant painful way, shoulders sore from the rucksack...note to self give rucksack to the Sherpa earlier on!!! Monday its Bowscale....fell running shoes and a wetsuit...what more can a girl ask for...oh sunshine but if it doesn’t come out...I will still do it!!