Hey everyone, welcome to a new edition of “The Alpine Seven Letter.”
This week has been a whirlwind of physical breakthroughs and logistical puzzles as we get closer to the next big milestones.
From 60 Seconds to 300 Meters
This past Sunday, I headed into the lake for a training swim in 4°C (39°F) water. To give you an idea of the intensity: the moment I submerged, my breath simply vanished.
In that moment of “cold shock,” I leaned on one mantra: Focus on the stroke. It’s amazing how narrowing your world down to a single movement can help you overcome the most extreme environments.
The big takeaway: Back in November, I couldn’t last 60 seconds in 8°C water. By showing up nearly every second day—starting with seconds, then minutes, and now reaching 10-minute sessions—I’ve just completed a 300-meter swim in freezing temperatures.
Next Challenge: This Saturday, I’ll be putting this training to the test at the Austrian Ice Swimming Championships, competing in the 250m and 500m events. Wish me luck!
Watch to my swim in 4° degree cold water here.
Logistics of a 66km Swim: Lago Maggiore
Planning for lake #4 of The Alpine Seven challenge the 66km swim across Lago Maggiore (estimated at 26 hours of non-stop swimming) is becoming a masterclass in logistics. We finally secured our “base camp” Airbnb!
Finding a spot for a team that fluctuates from 4 people to 10 people over three days is no easy feat.
Day 1 – 4 people: Just me and the core team (Coach Sammy, Captain Erik, and my Dad).
Day 2 – 6 people: The team will spent the night on the boat; my family arrives at the base.
Day 3 – 10 people: The whole “tribe” reunites under one roof.
Watching Neil Agius and his 60-hour swim recently reminded me why these projects take so much coordination. He had a team of 35! As a “one-man show” for much of the planning, I’m learning a tough lesson: Patience. It takes time to build something this big, but it’s all coming together.
Decision Making: The Power of Vision
In the second part of my series on decision-making, I’m exploring why Vision is the ultimate tie-breaker.
Last week, we talked about Values. You can find last weeks article here. This week, it’s about how your goal dictates your choices.
When I was looking at dozens of accommodations for Lago Maggiore, I used both of them:
Value: One of my main value is family, so the place had to be big enough for everyone.
Vision: My vision is to conquer the lake, so the place had to be close to the water.
When your vision is clear, “No” becomes easy, and “Yes” becomes purposeful.
Stay focused and keep swimming,
Bernhard
Follow The Alpine Seven journey and learn how “impossible” goals become a natural byproduct of the right systems and tools.
P.S. I plan to send my letters out every Friday morning 5 am CET. But as this is a human-to-human connection, please bear with me if life (or my kids) decides to “reorganize” my schedule. I’m a pretty good swimmer, but I haven’t figured out how to swim through a family emergency at a good speed yet! 😉
