Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Swimming holes (theoretical)

Late December is not the ideal time to try out swimming spots around Loch Loch. By the time I am fully in the water, my feet are numb and my legs feel like they are on fire. Six degree cold water is fine, apparently, but one or two degrees is a different problem that I still need to solve.

But in theory, this is a cold water swimming paradise. The loch itself is shallow in the south, and deep in the north where it narrows and squeezes through the hills. The outflow An Lochain has some good bathtubs. On the approach, Allt Fearnach presents a great hole with easy access, just before the slope steepens and the river accelerates. And north of the loch, Allt Feith Ghuithsachain has formed glorious rock pools at the bottom of equally glorious waterfalls, places that nobody ever visits. 


I had seen the lower parts of these falls before, but I didn't know that higher up the stream has more of these, better, steeper, faster, and still nameless and undeveloped. The water has carved a deep incision into the rock. Bare trees cover up the entry point. And right next to the best pool is a grassy spot, the most secluded, the most mysterious, and also the loudest campsite in the world. In theory.

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