Pioneers, athletes and simply enthusiasts who, on their own initiative or by chance, defeated the cold.
A naked person can be in the cold at minus 30-35°C for half an hour, maximum one hour. Prolonged exposure to cold will lead to the fact that internal mechanisms will not be able to replenish heat loss, as a result of which body temperature will begin to decrease. Resistance to cold can be increased if you regularly harden the body, as, for example, “walruses” do. Thanks to “training” cooling, their body is not afraid of cold and ice water. But their resistance to cold is far from the limit of human capabilities.
Roald Amundsen
The Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen spent almost his entire life exploring the North. On the path to great discoveries, the traveler had to overcome many incredible difficulties. One of the most difficult tests awaited the polar explorer during his first expedition. The ship on which the team was moving to the South Magnetic Pole was stopped by ice. The crew was faced with an unplanned winter, to wait out which there was not enough polar clothing or food supplies on board. To survive in harsh conditions, they had to make wool blankets into their equipment and learn to hunt seals. After 13 months, the ship finally left the ice zone and the researcher, along with other surviving polar explorers, returned home. Andrzej Zawada
Until 1979, all climbers attempted to conquer the top of the world only during the pre-monsoon or post-monsoon seasons. A Polish expedition led by Andrzej Zawada tried for the first time to change the number of seasons and add winter to them. After long negotiations with the Ministry of Tourism of Nepal, climbers received permission to climb Everest in the winter season. The winter permit was strictly limited to the period from December 1, 1979 to February 28, 1980 and no more. Despite the tight deadline, the climbers managed to meet the allotted time and, having passed through the South Col, climbed to the top of Everest. 
Lewis Gordon Pugh
British athlete Lewis Gordon Pugh, nicknamed “The Polar Bear,” prefers swimming in warm sea water swims in glacial lakes and the Arctic Ocean. He dives into icy waters not in a special wetsuit, but in ordinary swimming trunks and a swimming cap. The Briton uses his body’s ability to retain muscle heat and coordination of movements in water with sub-zero temperatures to draw attention to the rapid melting of the Earth’s ice cover and the problems of climate change. 
Gleb Travin
In 1928, a Soviet traveler set off on a long journey by bicycle along the borders of the USSR, including the Arctic coast. Borders along the Arctic Ocean from Kola Peninsula He traveled to Cape Dezhnev in Chukotka on a bicycle and hunting skis. For a year and a half, without any support, he traveled alone arctic ice and a coastline of forty thousand kilometers. 
Wim Hof
Wim Hof, also known as the “ice man,” literally tests his strength with the cold every day. Sitting in the cold for several hours, climbing Mont Blanc in shorts, swimming under the ice of a frozen lake is a common thing for him. 20 such achievements of Wim Hof were included in the Guinness Book of Records. The Dutchman is convinced that incredible achievements and records are the natural results of his long work, and not at all superpowers. 
Naomi Uemura
By the age of 29, the Japanese explorer had conquered five out of seven highest points different continents. In 1972, he moved to Greenland for 9 months, where he lived with the Eskimos and studied dog sledding. Using his experience while traveling in Canada and Alaska, Naomi Uemura began preparing for a solo trip to the North Pole. He traveled on sled dogs, and all the necessary equipment and food were periodically delivered to him by plane. Naomi Uemura reached his destination after 55 days of travel. 
Otto Schmidt
The Soviet mathematician and geographer undertook to act as a “myth buster” and check whether it was possible to sail along the Northern Sea Route on an ordinary heavy cargo ship, and not on a special vessel. The ship on which the expedition took place was crushed by ice, and 104 crew members were left to spend the winter on the ice floe. The rescue operation was carried out only a month later. Within a week, all people were evacuated from the ice floe. 
Ramon Navarro
Chilean surfer Ramon Navarro decided to surf where no surfer had gone before. Ramon went to Antarctica to conquer the waves. Severe climatic conditions the athlete was more than compensated by the absence of crowds of surfers in the water, regardless of the time of day.
Wim Hof climbed Everest wearing shorts. Temperatures at the summit of Everest range from -19° to -36°. Scientists examined his body and confirmed that it was not affected in any way by low temperatures that could kill a person of average ability.
The Wim Hof technique allows a person to independently overcome certain diseases with the help of thought. And he can teach it to other people. Recently, Dutch scientists published a report indicating that Hof is able to consciously influence his immune system.
Hof trained 12 volunteers in his technique. It included meditation breathing techniques, lying in the snow barefoot and shirtless, swimming in icy water. After training, all volunteers were injected with toxins to see how their bodies reacted. A control group of 12 other volunteers who did not participate in the training also received injections of toxins.
A bacterial toxin produced by Escherichia coli causes temporary fever, headache and tremors. This is a standard test for inflammation.
Volunteers who went through training had less painful symptoms after injection. Their bodies produced less proteins, causing inflammation and more proteins that prevent inflammation. They also released more adrenaline, a hormone associated with immune system response.
Scientists have found that the Hof technique offers hope for recovery to people suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and intestinal inflammation.
But it is too early to draw clear conclusions; more experiments need to be carried out.
In a YouTube video, Hof explained why he does this: “My mission is to show that anyone can use their mind to understand themselves more deeply.”
He says he hopes to see more people, cured thanks to the “inner doctor” instead of depending on pills and modern medical procedures.
Speaking about the “inner doctor,” Hof adds: “2,000 years ago, people already knew about it. We just kind of forgot about it."
For most people, hardening procedures are limited only contrast shower. Braves and Zealous Supporters healthy image They practice winter swimming in their lives, claiming that it strengthens the immune system and fortitude. The vast majority of people consider the touch of frost on bare skin to be a dubious pleasure. They will find it crazy to walk naked through snowy streets, and swimming in icy water can threaten not only their health, but also their lives. But there are people who have truly overcome themselves and who enjoy such extreme temperature experiments on their bodies.
The “ice man”, which is exactly the nickname the Dutchman Wim Hof received, gained worldwide fame in 2000. In just one minute he swam 57 meters, which would seem to be not such an impressive result. Unless you take into account that he swam under the ice of the lake, wearing not a special wetsuit, but swimming trunks and socks. Since then, having become a pioneer of the “ice mode of life,” he has performed risky stunts many times to the delight of journalists, surprising spectators.
In 2007, he jogged in the Arctic Circle, covering 42 kilometers, wearing only shorts. Then, he climbed Mont Blanc, still recognizing only shorts as clothing. In 2008, he sat for 72 minutes in a cube filled with ice water. This happened on the streets of New York in winter.
According to his own statement, the cold brings him pleasure. He developed a passion for low temperatures at the age of 17. Then he thought, why not make this his life’s work. He is already over 50, and he continues to test his strength.
Many consider his abilities to be phenomenal, but he claims that almost everyone is capable of developing such cold resistance, because they are truly limitless. He recruits groups of students whom he teaches to survive in extreme conditions. He doesn’t have a special secret; you can achieve such results using Tibetan practices, meditation and physical exercise. The main thing, says Wim Hof, is to believe in yourself.
Lynn Cox - the woman who, according to newspaper reporters, managed to melt the ice cold war. In 1987, she swam across the Bering Strait, which separated the USSR from the USA. It took her a little over two hours, and the water temperature did not rise above 4 degrees!
She has been swimming since childhood, although her teachers did not see her as a promising athlete. Despite her modest assessment of her abilities, she swam a distance of 43 km as part of a team of teenagers. open water in 12 hours. A year later she conquered the English Channel, and at the age of 16 she set a world record, again swimming across the English Channel, but in 9 hours 36 minutes.
In total, she holds more than 20 world records. She dedicated her life to promoting a healthy lifestyle, pushing the limits of human capabilities. She has organized many companies that sponsor programs aimed at protecting nature and animals.
But perhaps her most impressive record is the conquest of the icy waters of Antarctica. In 2002, at the age of 45, she swam almost 2 kilometers in 25 minutes. A whole 25 minutes in water, the temperature of which was about 0 degrees! In Neko Harbor, penguins met her on the shore, as if accepting her as one of their own.
The Dutchman Wim Hof is called " Ice man", and after learning a little about him, you will understand why.
The famous Dutch resident can withstand extremely low temperatures and is convinced that everyone can develop this ability.
Wim Hof holds several world records. In 2000, he swam about 60 meters under the water of an ice-covered lake. A few years later, while in Finland, he ran a full marathon in only shorts at a temperature of -20°C. In 2009, he climbed Kilimanjaro wearing only shorts and boots.
A couple of years ago, American journalist Scott Carney came to Wim, who was sure that all his records were staged. He intended to conduct an exposé report, but after several training sessions he was already running in the snow with almost no clothes. It was not possible to produce sensational material, but during the course of his studies the American lost noticeable weight and got rid of old health problems. 
However, Vim is not afraid not only of cold, but also of heat. In search of new sensations, in 2011 he ran 42 kilometers across the Namib Desert without drinking a drop of water. 
The famous Dutchman, who will turn 58 in April, periodically updates his own record for the longest stay in ice water, appearing in the pages of the Guinness Book of Records. His current record is 1 hour 52 minutes. 
According to experts, his abilities are a phenomenon, although Vim himself considers himself an ordinary person, and such superpowers, according to him, can be developed by anyone, the main thing is to control your body with the help of your mind. Wim Hof wrote a book detailing a technique he developed called "Inner Flame", the main components of which are the right attitude, breathing and cold. In addition, he published several video tutorials on the World Wide Web. 
