Devoke Water - where people watch you whilst you're getting undressed.
The winding roads had made me feel sick. Plus I'd seen a video someone had posted of a 'pipe fish' they'd captured on their phone during a local wild swim...which had also made me feel sick.
When we parked up we were met with a handful of ramblers preparing for a leisure hike. One got talking, and once we'd established that we were new to the place he proudly revealed that he'd been before many times. Most prominently as a Duke of Edinburgh expedition leader. Gold award no less. This is type of conversation subject I'm beginning to warm to. Comforting enough to engage in at surface level over a flask of coffee. Enough to make me feel part of the outdoor 'team', whilst maintaining a safe and dignified distance. Knowing (and liking) my place at beginner level.
Walking there, getting closer, watching the lake (or tarn?...can I bring myself to care?) appear and expand in front of my eyes, almost made me want to run towards it. Almost.
It's been described as a 'moody' body of water and I can see why. The wind was creating the type of surface I'd not been faced with so far. Fast moving and frothing at the seams. It felt like risk for the second time (the first being the sinister Brotherswater) and we tentatively started to change by the waters edge near the ghostly 'boat house'.
Another group of walkers appeared over the hill all of a sudden and I found myself waiting around in the cold for a while reluctant to change. It felt absurd. One older bloke was stood right behind me within arms reach for ages, shifting from foot to foot. And eventually couldn't help himself - he started talking to us, uninvited, about how it's not as cold as the waters he usually swims in. Then he waded over to the edge and dipped the tips of his fingers in to confirm. Yes, he commented, it was 'fine' and 'get in then'. We all laughed politely and he finally buggered off with his head firmly up his own arse.
The swim itself was brief. It was bloody freezing. Technically speaking. And again, I noted that gloves would have been nice.
We championed our previous swims with a Sunday Roast booking at the nearby 'Boot Inn' in Eskdale. I had a post-swim freeze down to my core for ages. I sat there in a wind proof coat the whole time but to be fair they didn't light the fire until we were leaving(!) There was a weird bulge in the plaster in the wall directly behind me, and it looked like a face.
'It's a god-awful small affair'.
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