Gumpen - ice-cold mountain lakes

Was watching breakfast telly today and they were extolling the virtues of free swimming. When in the mountains on a hot day we've been doing this for years. You simply strip off and jump into an icy pool. Get out then
 dry naturally in the sun then continue refereshed. Admittedly wife is braver than me and goes in more often. I don't want my bits to shrink.

anyone else jump in to these pools too?

Only reason to go hiking in this insane heat is the chance to reduce your body size by between 10 and 75 % using the jump into coldwater method.

Bit shrinkage is temporary and your shorts may fit better afterwards. It's the close call heart attack experience when you submerge that you should be worried about.

There's nothing like it - blue skin, instant neutering and being able to talk like a Bee Gee on helium! But the best part is the kick you get when the paramedics restart your heart.
But seriously, bugger that - wrong website for it, I have tried it but still don't understand the appeal of swimming in a glacier fed lake

Never tried it but sounds like could be good!

The nearest I think I've come is a Russian sauna- with birch twigs etc and then after a while in the sauna you jump in an ice cold plunge pool-great for the circulation apparently!

I have never tried it either.. Sounds like it could be good, but I might be too much of a prudish brit to strip down like that. Must be lovely though when you are melting hot...

With the likes of the Russian sauna thing the nakedness was a bit daunting at first but then it was all women and after the initial giggles between me and my friends we just got on with it- everyone there was naked and my god there were some worse specimens there than us! Was very liberating!

So where can one do this naked lake stuff here?

Tom I was like that. But one day I was lying by Starnberger lake when this gorgeous woman came and lay near me in the sun. I glanced at her when she arrived then realised she had taken everything off. As I was early at the lake I saw others stripping off too and I thought what the hell when in rome so I took mine off too. FKK is weird for us Brits who were raised oin Carry On films but hey we're on the Continent so its freer.

I also went down to Chiemsee to sunbathe and in my naiveness (honest truth) ended up parking at the FKK area. I didnt even know what FKK stood for, so went in and spent an afternoon with all naked people. Funny thing was I was trrying to pretend not to look but I caught women glancing down at mine! I cannot say if they were stifling a giggle though.

Aye, I was in the FKK area at Feringasee once (cos it was the only bit without billions of screaming kids) but I felt odd with clothes on so joined in... That felt even odder. Not done it again since but probably would if I had to.

But in the middle of a hike? I don't think I could do it around people I know.

this might just be me being ridiculous but what/where is FKK area?

Search (on TT, for FKK) and ye shall find

FKK - Frei Körper Kultur - Nudists, Naked sunbathing
FKK ?

FJ FKK stands for Frei Körper Kultur. It simply means going round without a stitch on.

Swimming baths like here in Munich eg Dantebad have a fenced off area. I used to go lie there on Friday afternoons with a beer covering my modesty.

Aaahhhh I see said the blind man!

The FKK area at Feringasee is on the peninsula on the far side from the Gasthaus. Never been there myself, I prefer midnight skinny dipping along with random strangers. Helluvalottafun.

I go every winter to Finland to do the Finnish Sauna and a Hole in the Ice! Awesome! Its cold, but so refreshing... and its always done naked.

@Jeremy

What did you do when the beer dried off?