25 July 2008 – Loweswater
Today has been one of the high points of the summer. Richard and we began our Swimming Home project, swimming across Cumbria from Loweswater to Gurnal Dubs.
At Loweswater, the surface of the lake was littered with small pieces of vegetation fallen from the overhanging trees, like flies, dead on the surface. We pushed out into the broad water. The sun was high and full, occasionally hidden by fast moving cloud, and the steady breeze forced waves westward along Loweswater, mimicking a slight sea that added to the drama of the experience.
Pulling ourselves steadily deeper, the awareness of the expanse and depth of the water became vivid and thoughts of what lay below had to be pushed to the bottom of the thought pile.
Wearing clear goggles, in order to cope with waves by submerging and pushing through them, allowed me to see the sun’s rays cutting into the light green water below us like bullet traces. In the midst of this uncertain experience, we frequently checked in with each other as we neared the centre of the lake. The surrounding hills stood passively and images of small heads bobbing about in the middle of the vast expanse of water surrounded by mountains made for sobering thoughts about the insignificance of humanity in such a landscape.
At half way, we checked in again and agreed to continue, eventually landing at the other side with some relief before quickly pushing off again for the return. The wind and waves pushed us off course from our target line home, making for a longer route, but we landed again on the shingle beach, emerging triumphant to dry ourselves as quickly as possible to avoid the bites of persistent flies and to find the sunshine again, out of the trees. Days had never felt so good.
