Because the freezing waters of the Oresund shut over my shoulders, I scream.
Or attempt to. All I handle is a gurgling shriek because the chilly clamps my ribs.
It is certainly insane to make use of this Baltic strait as a plunge pool, however after quarter-hour in a sauna – particularly when ‘sauna mistress’ Tina has tossed buckets of water onto the recent coals, upping the warmth dramatically – cooling down looks like a good suggestion.
Retreat: The Kurhotel Skodsborg spa resort overlooks the freezing waters of the Oresund
Tina Andersen runs the hot-and-cold ‘SaunaGus’ expertise on the Kurhotel Skodsborg as a bunch class. And now winter bathing season is underneath manner, there’s little excuse to not make the leap. Although it is not for the faint-hearted.
‘You’re superb,’ she exhorts. ‘Your thoughts is highly effective. Use it to beat the warmth.’
4 of us comply with her meekly, stupefied by warmth, right down to the ocean, a two-minute stroll from the resort spa.
After which, wow! The water is so shockingly chilly that it is like being sliced with a scalpel. After simply ten seconds, I scramble out, shrieking with aid, excessive as a kite on a rush of endorphins. The air is hardly hotter than the water, however it appears tropical by comparability and I really feel invincible.
Making a splash: There may be nothing fairly like a bracing dip within the sea
The cold and warm shock therapy works wonders for the circulation, eases stiff muscular tissues and promotes deeper sleep. What’s extra, these endorphins assist counteract despair — helpful when it is solely gentle for round seven hours a day in winter.
The Kurhotel Skodsborg is a spa resort on the outskirts of Copenhagen, overlooking the Oresund. It is all cosy and ‘hygge’ with sofas, fireplaces and tiny candles on each desk. The meals is wholesome and scrumptious – and, sure, alcohol is allowed.
The fabulous open sandwiches, or Smorrebrod, have avocado, or roast beef, piled excessive on ‘Paleo bread’ created from nuts and seeds, however nobody goes to cease you having fun with the gooey brownies or cinnamon rolls.
Come on in, the water’s, erm, freezing: Alice takes her leap into the Oresund
The resort’s stylish health club is widespread with locals and it is solely a 20-minute hop from the fashionable outlets of Copenhagen.
Tina runs two courses a day they usually’re so booked up that her colleagues at the moment are providing mini-SaunaGus experiences, for many who aren’t fairly up for the complete immersion.
The wimps!
