The Hurly Burly Returns
View of the river from Barmouth
A wild swim. A Wild wild swim. The Hurly Burly last graced our calendars in 2018 and has been on pause ever since. First discovered by Kate Rew and her team at the Outdoor Swimming Society, Level Water took over the running of the event in 2022 but building-works on the bridge have kept everything on hold.
Now it’s back in all it’s glory. The tempestuous Afon Mawddach catapulted nearly 400 swimmers up river from the estuary at Barmouth to the George III pub at Penmaenpool on the 21 September 2024.
Nestled in amongst the hills of Snowdonia, we couldn’t have asked for better weather and more epic scenery. Some swimmers rose at 5am to catch a coach to run the 11km back before the big swim. A kind of magic was in the air as runners crossed the finish line one by one, swimmers gathered on the beach, entered the water and then emerged triumphant in Penmaenpool.
Hosted by Barmouth Yacht club, we greeted swimmers on Friday evening and Saturday morning in their boat yard on the front. Every face we saw at the registration desk this weekend had something in common. The grit and determination to see it through. This event isn’t for the faint hearted. The wind-over-tide created whitehorse crests that the swimmers battled in the first few kilometres. The reward for facing the waves was a fast-moving current that pulled them under the bridge and them pushed them towards the finish line. Likened to a ‘washing machine’ the swim was both Hurly and Burly, fully living up to it’s name.
The George III is the perfect place to end a wild swim. Swimmers perched along the low wall facing the water with the river stretching out before them. Basking in their achievement and the last of the autumn sun before the clouds rolled in. Greeting old friends and meeting new.
The Hurly Burly has raised over £35,000 in fundraising. Funds thats are vital to nearly a thousand children across the UK who swim with Level Water. Children that wouldn’t have access to this life-saving skill that supports strength, flexibility and confidence each and every week.
Every single person we’ve met in North Wales has been wonderfully supportive of the event and our charity. A huge thank you to the local council, the Barmouth Yacht club, the George III, water safety crew, the Harbour Master, toll bridge staff, traffic management, volunteers, swimmers and anyone else who has made this swim-dream a reality.
This is the start of a whole new community, just like the ones we see every year at the well established Bantham Swoosh and Dart10k. Thank you Hurly Burly team. We can’t wait to see you all again next year.
Swim on.
