Lake bagging is a fast-emerging adventure exercise trend.
Rob Chilton
Lifestyle
LAKE BAGGING
A phrase popped up in my Twitter feed that I’d never come across before: lake bagging.
It doesn’t involve bags, but it does involve lakes, specifically wild swimming. Lake baggers are hardy souls who swim in natural lakes which they then tick off on a personal list of achievements. It’s a twist on the more recognised peak bagging, which is a term hikers use to record the number of mountains they’ve scaled.
There is no official organisation overseeing lake bagging but there are unwritten rules: you must swim at least 800 metres, the lake must be named, you must not leave any litter behind, and you must dunk your head underwater.
Here are 10 lakes that Altitudes would love to tick off its lake bagging list.
Switzerland, LAKE LUCERNE
Fresh air and clean water are guaranteed in Switzerland’s famous lake which has numerous beaches and swimming spots.
Australia, LAKE MCKENZIE
Famous for its bright blue water, Lake McKenzie can be found on Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island that sits off the coast of Queensland in eastern Australia.
Canada, CASCADE PONDS
Nowhere does big skies and majestic scenery like Canada. You’ll get to enjoy both during a swim in Cascade Ponds inside the beautiful Banff National Park.
Italy, LAKE GARDA
The towns of Brescia and Verona sit on the left and right respectively of this gorgeous lake that’s the largest in Italy.
Lake baggers are hardy souls who swim in natural lakes which they then tick off on a personal list of achievements.
Scotland, LOCH LOMOND
Part of the Trossachs National Park, this stunning body of water is the largest inland stretch of water in Britain at 39km and is surrounded by forests.
America, LAKE TAHOE
Nevada and California share a piece of the tourist-friendly Lake Tahoe, one of the largest alpine lakes in America that lies in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
Italy, LAKE COMO
Sophisticated hotels and beautiful villas owned by the wealthy jostle for space on this Y-shaped lake that is one of Europe’s most picturesque spots.
Upstate New York: Swimming is one of the most popular activities in Lake Placid (above) and the Adirondacks boast 3,000 lakes and ponds, along with endless rivers.
Slovenia, LAKE BLED
Not far from the Austrian border to the north, this pretty lake is home to the well-known Church of the Assumption that sits on Bled Island.
America, LAKE PLACID
The scene of two Winter Olympics in 1932 and 1980, Lake Placid up high in New York State is one of around 3,000 pristine lakes in the Adirondack Mountains.
