This month we are very excited to review the brand new swimming book from the ever-excellent Vertebrate Publishing, time to dive into ‘The Cold Fix’ by Sara Barnes. For some time now we’ve followed Sara on social media (known there as @bumblebarnes) and have always been fans of the sheer amount of infectious joy she brings to all things aquatic. There’s always an untethered wildness to the images and stories she shares and her shots never feel overly planned or staged, instead, they always seem to catch glimpses of joy in the embrace of the cold. But alas, onto the book itself. Now that is how you do a cover shot, what an image. You’re treated to an evocative photo of a single swimmer, Sara, sitting in a small pool hacked into the icy lake surface as she gazes up at the snowy hills of the Lake District. It’s a magical first glimpse of what’s to come, a Narnian cupboard drawing you into the world of cold water swimming. Alongside this sits the tagline “Drawing Strength From Cold Water Swimming & Immersion”. We are passionate cheerleaders of the benefits of cold water immersion and its impact on physical and mental health and couldn’t wait to find out more.

But first some background on Sara. She is a freelance writer who’s made her home in the Lake District for the past 26 years. Her nearest lake is Crummock Water and as fellow Lake Districtians we can testify to the absolute beauty of where Sara swims, Crummock Water and Buttermere are two of the most incredible swim spot in the UK, in the shadow of Haystacks with Wainwright’s ashes watching on, a place for an intrepid swimmer no doubt! In February 2017 she underwent major leg surgery to alleviate symptoms of osteoarthritis, but the operation was not particularly successful and it has taken her nearly four years to learn to walk properly again. Faced with a lack of mobility she was forced to confront where else she could plonk her body. In cold water of course! She begin her swimming journey and felt liberated and pain-free: emotionally and physically. No pressure on her healing bones, no pain because her wounds were numb from the cold and no chlorine because the water she swam in was pure Lakeland water, fresh off the fells. Cue her cold water adventures. If one-word springs to mind before you dive into the book and understand Sara’s story it is ‘empowering’. Everything about her swimming, her journey and all the images she shares is that they are instantly and undeniably empowering and one can’t help but feel that empowerment and be inspired.

“Beautifully captures the heart of the intimacies found inside the world of cold water”

Gilly McArthur

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First up this a lovingly crafted story, not a guide but a compelling narrative journey as we follow Sara’s first foray into the cold, onwards to meeting fellow merpeople and seeing her own passion grow and grow before it infects those around her. As she meets other cold water enthusiasts she is constantly seeking to find the answer to a crucial question which underpins the whole narrative of the story: what is it about cold water that proves irresistible to an increasing number of people?

In seeking to answer the question Sara takes a different tack from others (including ourselves) and seeks to find the answers from a wide range of cold water enthusiasts. This section of the book is titled, ‘Meeting Strangers’. These are grouped into 5 different categories; THE MOTHER, THE WARRIOR, THE CHILD, THE PANTHER and THE THINKER. It’s a unique take and one which really benefits the book as we hear a whole myriad of perspectives and numerous personal stories of why the cold water has such a magnetic draw for so many people. This approach means there is truly something for everyone and the reader is able to transplant themselves into the book with great ease.

My favourite section was ‘THE WARRIOR’ which states that “My Warrior is an enigmatic, calm, strong presence who is always by my side, ready to be fierce and protect me, or quiet and watch over me. Neither male nor female. No definable age, ethnicity or origin.” In it she meets Matty, a cold water swimmer with a particular love for Finland. Matty share’s his reasons for loving the cold, from an early experience in British Columbia through to ChillSwim in Cumbria. In one heartwarming segment, Sara asks Matty “Is there a part of you that the cold reaches that nothing else can?” to which Matty responds “I go into the cold to forget things, genuinely.’ He then goes on to explain that in fact, when he was a witness to a horrific crime as part of his job, a cold night swim blotted out his memory. A few days later the police asked him to give a statement but he couldn’t remember what had happened. The trauma had been wiped from his memory and protected him from the horror repeating itself in his dreams and thoughts. He described it as ‘the cold water washing the dirt in his brain off.’

But what truly elevates this book is the fact that it wholeheartedly embraces the wide range of perspectives and experiences that different people have when it comes to cold water. It is not about one way or mindset being right, it isn’t about there being a correct way to enjoy cold water. It is about the transformative and deeply personal effect that cold water has had on the people within. Sara can clearly empathise with these personal journeys as she has undergone one herself in which the cold water fixed her if you’ll excuse the pun on the title. It’s this patchwork of perspectives that brings real value to the reader. The book features all kinds of swimmers, from dippers and splashers to Ice swimmers and long-distance swimmers. There is no correct way to enjoy the cold just an uplifting and compelling message that cold water is inherently good for you.

Whether it’s Jonny the editor of Outdoor Swimmer Magazine or Leelou the South Lakes wanderer, Sara has carefully selected the swimmers to contrast and compliment each other and these intensely personal micro stories really pull you in.

“And I was never a sporty person or had a great relationship with my body. I used to think if someone had stuck me out in the wilderness I’d be dead within a minute. But, and I know how this sounds a bit like pride before a fall, but not many people do what I do, it’s hard it’s uncomfortable and it carries risk. But now I can assess the situation on a different level. I can do hard things, this cold thing, and survive and feel amazing. If someone left me in a cold place, I reckon I could last for… half an hour.”

This passionate and heartwarming tale from Tara really throws into light just how empowering cold water is and how it gives people a chance to feel strong, feel stoic and most importantly feel powerful within.

Alongside the powerful narratives and compelling stories, Sara’s empathy shines throughout. This is deeply personal to her and the book concludes with our favourite chapter, ‘The Ice Hole’. She states that ‘at the beginning of this journey into the cold, I dreamt of my perfect ice hole.’ Which she describes as a ‘dark, roughly oval shape of water in a frozen fjord.’ In the final section, she embarks on a quest to Scales Tarn which lies in a corrie formed in the Ice Age, a truly dramatic setting, she get’s her axe out and starts hacking away. During this process, she has a deeply moving and personal revelation (we’ll leave it for you to discover) that ultimately leads her to believe… “Maybe there is nothing I am missing? Am I complete? …. I needed both: this safe space here with my own flesh and blood, and that world out there with my fellow cold water selkies. In both places, I now know my worth.”

This is truly an inspiring and moving journey. It is profoundly personal and leaves a lasting effect. It had me questioning my own deeper love and need for the cold and helped me unravel some of the deeper meanings behind why the cold water is so important to me and to so many others. Sara has clearly found a calling which not only offers personal redemption and empowers her but has also pushed her into the lives of other people who feel and share the same love for the water. This dual fix of both the personal and the social drives the Cold Fix home and leaves the reader salivating at the prospect of having their own little axe and carving out their own ice hole.

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The Cold Fix - Sara Barnes - Book Review