Cold Walk
to Top of Bireggwald
February 12, 2022
Lucerne, Switzerland
English
Are you interested in a little cold adventure? Discover your inner fire and hike to the top of Bireggwald in your swimwear.
If you’re interested in a dry cold experience (compared to winter swimming), this is a great opportunity to do so safely and with like-minded people.
You will get a chance to deeply connect with yourself, the cold and nature around you.
The whole walk / hike will take about 1.5 hours, of which 30 minutes will be cold exposure in swimwear.
It will be a challenging and empowering experience suitable for beginners and experienced cold aficionados alike. You are in complete control and decide for yourself how much or little you want to wear aside from your swimwear (i. e. shoes, gloves, hat, scarf, etc.).
At the top we’ll enjoy a beautiful scenic view, maybe do some Qigong or warm-up exercises, and get dressed again to walk back down.
Afterwards, you’re invited to Rafael’s place to warm up, enjoy a creamy, vegan hot chocolate and share your experience. This part is optional and open to everyone, but because of limited space please indicate if you’d like to join when you sign up for the event.
Itinerary
- 4:00 pm Meet outside Neubad (Bireggstrasse 36, 6003 Luzern)
- 4:05 pm Walk (fully clothed) to Bireggwald (entrance at Sternmattstrasse)
- 4:20 pm Get undressed
- 4:25 pm Hike to top of Bireggwald
- 4:55 pm Enjoy scenic view, Qigong exercises, get dressed
- 5:10 pm Hike down
- 5:40 pm Back at Neubad
- 5:45 pm Optional: Enjoy hot chocolate at Rafael's, warm up, and share experience
What to bring
- Wear warm clothes and shoes
- Wear your swimwear underneath your clothes
- Backpack to put all your clothes in after getting undressed and carry them along
- Optional: sandals for the cold hike if you don't want to wear warm shoes
- If you join the second part of the event at Rafael's place, bring slippers or an extra pair of socks to keep your feet warm (there's no carpet or floor heating)
Preparation tips
- About 30–60 minutes before the event, start to mentally and physically prepare yourself and make sure you feel warm. Do some physical warm-up exercises (and/or breathwork) at home to slightly increase your heart rate and blood flow. No intense exercise, simply movement to warm your body. And/or take a warm shower.
- About 30–60 minutes before the event, make sure you're well hydrated, but also empty your bladder. Cold exposure can have a slight diuretic effect, so don't drink so much that you need to pee during the walk.
- Don't eat a meal for 2–3 hours before the event. A small snack is ok, but it's not advisable to do a cold exposure event on a full stomach.
Event Details
Location
Start and finish outside Neubad, Bireggstrasse 36, 6003 Luzern
Date & Time
Saturday, February 12, 2022
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
+ optionally hot chocolate at Rafael's (until approx. 8 pm)
Hike Time & Distance
Approx. 1.5 hours
2.6 km
155 m altitude difference
Cold Exposure Duration
30 min in swimwear
(can be individually shortened or extended)
Experience Level
Suitable for beginners and experienced cold aficionados alike
Host
Rafael Järmann
Langauge
English and/or German
(depending on the group's preference)
What to Bring
See event desription above
Maximum number
12 participants
Cost
Free
Registration
Join us for a challenging, fun, and empowering experience in the cold.
Registration deadline: February 10, 2022
For beginners:
You don’t need to, but if you’d like to get started with cold exposure, here are some tips:
- During the weeks before the event try to occasionally go outside with less clothes on than you’re used to (e. g. without a jacket, hat, gloves, or only short-sleeved). Start with 5 minutes and see how you feel. When you feel comfortable to do so, increase the intensity by exposing yourself for longer and/or with less clothing.
- You can also experiment with cold showers, or join us for one of our weekly swims in the lake.