Don’ t skimp on the neoprene, says Andy Torbet, after attempting a wintry snorkel in Scotland with insufficient thermal protection
TORBET ON THE TUBE
Andy sits on the snowy river bank, girding himself for a bracing immersion
Fool’ s Cold
Don’ t skimp on the neoprene, says Andy Torbet, after attempting a wintry snorkel in Scotland with insufficient thermal protection
64
Winter scenery as viewed from the waterline
I
have often used this column to encourage folk to continue snorkelling all year round. At the same time I’ ve always sought to acknowledging the extra problems that arise, as well as the equipment and procedures that may be required. Along the way, I’ ve highlighted my belief that one of snorkelling’ s great advantages is its flexibility and reduced logistical burden.
Put simply, you can use any spare time to jump into suitable sites you may come across on your travels. And so it was during a road trip across the Snow Roads of the Cairngorm National Park. In January.
The views up here are stunning, especially in winter if you’ re fortunate enough to hit the sweet spot of having snow but the road still being open; you drive over the highest public road in the UK, after all. Part of the route took us along the Royal River Dee and near the Linn of Dee, a site I’ ve dived in all seasons except winter.
The Linn is where the river, at this time made up of snow and ice melt, descends from the mountains and cascades over a series of short falls into a steep sided gorge. The pace of water, hard granite bedrock and near-vertical walls create very little sediment and the dark, peat-stained water can have incredible visibility, though it appears almost