Hello,
I managed to knock two things off my bucket list yesterday! Public sauna and ice dip!
We’ve been planning this since January but there was never the right time. That changed yesterday when it was the right time! I am so happy that I actually did this! We have an Icelandic word kuldaskræfa which directly translated into English means, cold coward. Which is exactly something I am, I am basically afraid of the cold.
The saunas are quite busy and not very big so it isn’t really a group thing to do since a group wouldn’t fit into the saunas. At first, you need to go to the café area to pay and get a bracelet for the sauna.
The sauna we decided to try was their smoke sauna (they also have an electric sauna) and it was quite nice. We arrived right before 5pm and as we were leaving (around 6pm) there were quite a lot of people arriving.
They have changing rooms with a small personal safety box that you can store your phone and wallet, it would not fit a laptop or anything big. But they do have bigger lockers at the cafe but I would just try not to take a lot of things with you. The changing rooms are gender separated but the sauna is for everyone and swimsuit is required.
The sauna was quite dark and small, the biggest part of the sauna was the smoke area. There was a guy that was the designated sauna devotee, he was the one that moved the water bucket around and did some other sauna stuff that I am simply not familiar with.
The smoke did burn my nostrils a bit and I had a hard time being inside the sauna when the smokestack (I don’t know what else to call it) was being poked. We went three times into the sauna and after our first sauna, we decided to go for the ice dip.
As soon as my toes touched the cold water I knew if I wouldn’t go quickly into the water I would not go at all. So I went and regretted it immediately. Not really, but I could feel my body stop working, it was odd. Going from the hot sauna into the ice water was a feeling I have never felt before. I have been cold before, I have swum in lakes, oceans, cold swimming pools but this was just like my entire body had a brain freeze.
The only thing I could think of was GET OUT OF THE WATER! As I tried to get out I realized the stares had ice on them so I couldn’t hold on to anything. A panic came over me, but it wasn’t a problem and I got out. Going back into the sauna was an odd feeling as well, I still had goosebumps as the water evaporated off my skin.
I did not go into the water again but chilled outside the sauna to cool down before going in again. My skin was bright red, almost until I got home. My hair and skin had a slight hint of smoke until I showered again.
Will I do it again? Ehhhh, maybe.
Would I recommend it? Yes, definitely!
Until next time.
-Katrin
Snow Covered Moss 
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