THE LAPLAND SERIES, DAY 6
SAARISELKA
Jumping in an ice lake with mum & dad. Don’t ask me why but of all the things we were doing this was one of those that interested me the most.
HOLY F**KING SH*T, IT IS SO F**KING COLD, WHY OH WHY
I’m not sure if I was interested in jumping into the water myself or if it was to see how my mum and dad faired, but the response I got when I told them what we would be doing was of utter disbelief! I would have been surprised to wake the next day only to be told they had gotten the first flight to Portugal!
Nothing can really prepare you for this. I take cold showers every now and then and its just a case of getting under it and staying put for the first 30 seconds. After then it gets easier but you are by no means comfortable.
WHERE IS THE ICE LAKE?
The Ice Lake
I want to help them escape their comfort zone. They’ve done their bit in life and earned their right to remain in their comfort zone but I knew this experience would be the one they would never forget. I would go as far as saying this is the one they would be keen to tell everyone about if they made it home!
DAILY INFO….
- HOTEL – Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort 3/10
- ATTRACTIONS – Ice Pool and smoke sauna
- STEPS – 11,500
AURORA TOBAGANNING
But before the highlight of the day we had a spare half a day and if anyone knows my travel style I cannot deal with “free time”. So we headed to the nearby ski resort in Saariselka and went tobogganing on Finland’s longest tobogganing run.
I have to say it was a hell of a lot of fun and the rents seemed to enjoy it more than they thought but its challenging and not for the faint hearted at full pace. I had to sit and think for a while that I am currently flying down this mountain on my arse with two people over 65 years old!
Doing the usual on our last run of the day we jumped into the restaurant at the top of the fell for a few Glühwein and hot chocolates before going for it one last time.
Jumping in an ice lake with mum & dad
USUAL DISASTER
As per the theme of the resort, things were not well organised and we were told the activity would be brought forward 2 hours with no reasoning or option. This meant our toboganning had to be cut short and our lunch in Saariselka cancelled.
Arriving on time into the usual chaotic reception at around 2:45 we had to sit and wait for 45minutes before being told there was no transfer for us. Luckily we had our own car and drove ourselves but we still had to be out at the same time, meaning everything had to be done within 45mins. Unfortunately for the rents there was now no time to sit a contemplate!
Jumping in an ice lake with mum & dad
RELATED READ: A TRIP TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
Jumping in an ice lake with mum & dad
THE PLUNGE
There was a moment when I thought they wouldn’t pull through but when I got them out onto the lake I knew they would go for it, regardless of the constant pleads of mercy!
Taking one for the team and plunge first, I knew I had to keep calm not to put them off. I don’t want to state the obvious and say it was cold but it was entirely overwhelming. The key is to focus on the breath, which acts almost as a distraction but it’s the first 30seconds which are key. The only thing that is colder is getting out and standing in minus -19C waiting for their turn. There was no way I was going back to the sauna without policing their plunge!
Jumping in an ice lake with mum & dad
BENEFITS OF COLD WATER THERAPY FACTS :
- Reducing muscle stiffness and pain after exercise.
- Improving general wellbeing, and possibly helping with depression.
- Improving risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- Boosting the immune system.
THE RENTS
Mum took a quick dip and ran off into the smoke sauna but she would take it like a champ second time round. Dad knew he wouldn’t accept the same privilege and after the initial shock of getting in, managed it really well.
The sessions in the smoke sauna then gave us time to recover and reflect on the experience together which I enjoyed. Little did they know we were to go again!
SUMMED UP….
- HIGHLIGHT – Seeing mum and dad take part
- LOWLIGHT – Only getting an hour at the pool & sauna
FINAL THOUGHTS
I am a huge fan of cold water therapy, I love it. The feeling you get from this exposure is like a whole new high that lasts a lot longer than anything else. We have too many options of cheap dopamine these days and I firmly believe that any dopamine that arrives without prior effort destroys us. This is the reason that the first thing I will do when I buy a house is buy an ice bath and sauna.
As much as I would like my rents to take up this habit, I think it is maybe asking for a little too much, but who knows, my dad always says “we live in hope”.
NEXT UP
Its time to visit Santa and meet the rest of the family in Rovaniemi!! Click to read.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
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This post was part of The Lapland Series. To view my Instagram highlights click here.
If you would rather read the rest of the series from the blog just click here.
