A group of students stood shivering near Pitzer College’s Green Bikes Program (GBP) on the chilly morning of Wednesday, Sept. 18. Donned in hoodies and sweatpants with bathing suits peeking out, and clutching towels, bags of Yerba Mate leaves and quilts, onlookers may have mistaken the scene for a bizarre hazing ritual. Yet this weekly Yerba Mate cold plunge club might just be the newest in a venerable line of Pitzer traditions, starting just a few weeks ago.
The meaning behind a Pitzer tradition can be elusive. Many say the only thing they have in common is their shared eccentricity. Franzia (“Bike Porn”) — scantily clad group rides around campus, Balancing Club, Kohoutek, slacklining on the Mounds and painting the Free Wall all exemplify a diverse student body.
“Those types of Pitzer traditions … more student initiated, kind of casual, [are] a good way to meet new people and also involve the outdoors,” Jules Jaasma PZ ’26, a leader of the cold plunge, said. “I think it’s just a great way to connect with people and just do traditions that help build community.”
At 7 a.m. sharp, the plungers received a message detailing the meeting point — the Pitzer parking lot. Driving up Mt. Baldy Road, the sun behind the hills, the energy in the packed cars was palpable. The group arrived at a sparse dirt lot on Joatngna Trailhead facing a small pool of running water surrounded by trees. As they sat cross legged atop a variety of blankets, jackets, and towels, the crystalline tinkling of the water replaced the sounds of conversation.
Jaasma led the group in silent breathing exercises. Chests rose and fell in sync as sunlight shone over the edges of the mountains, illuminating the students’ shivering bodies with golden warm light. It was time to plunge in the icy creek.
The water was cold. Most let out quiet gasps and shivers as they kicked up clouds of clay colored silt. Yet some, including Jaasma, were unfazed. She and a few others slowly made their way towards the middle of the pool and submerged themselves, while the others, wet from the waist down, looked on in horror and admiration.
“People do [the cold plunge] for different reasons. Some people come and really do it for the headrush benefits, some stay in for longer… more like an ice bath situation,” Jaasma said. “The whole communal aspect… It’s just really fun. You can feel the physical change when you go in the water.”
“To drive into the mountains, get into a pond in the morning, drink some Mate, can’t imagine many other schools have a regular group that does this.”
As the students gingerly climbed out, legs and feet numb on the dusty ground, the third phase of the program began. The plungers, now wrapped in towels, passed around teaming gourds and bowls of Yerba Mate.
“I love stuff like this. I love the outdoors, and meeting cool people, so this was awesome,” Noa Rollman PZ ’28 said. “Right now I feel definitely more awake than before. I’m not a morning person so usually at this time I would be asleep.”
Many felt that somehow, their day was now on the right track.
“I just love the water in general,” Rassa Nyce PZ ’28 said. “When you get in it when you start your morning it can make your day really good … we’re just excited to try something new.”
By now the sun was high in the sky, and after the thermoses were emptied and Instagrams were exchanged, the students drove back to Pitzer. As quickly as it was assembled, the congregation retreated to their mornings and days, feeling energized and perhaps more like Pitzer students than when they had left.
“This feels very Pitzer. I know people haven’t been doing it for too long but it’s definitely a very Pitzer thing to do,” Rollman said. “To drive into the mountains, get into a pond in the morning, drink some Mate, can’t imagine many other schools have a regular group that does this.”
Stella Seid PZ ‘26 was inspired to create the club dedicated to these plunges after a stay on an Italian sustainable farming homestead, where she met a group of graduate students who described their morning cold plunge ritual.
Seid took her suitemates to scout nearby locations and established a group chat on Sept. 3. Within a week it was a club of 30. This rapid success might have come as a shock to some, but Jaasma seemed unsurprised.
“Just start. That’s what I say for everything,” Jaasma said. ”Literally last class [my professor] said ‘If not us, who? If not here, where? If not now, when?’ I think that’s just so true for everything. Now is the time, especially being at college and being at Pitzer, you have a lot more freedom and space to do that, and a community to do that with.”
When asked about what cold plunge hopefuls might need to know, Jaasma answered enthusiastically.
“I want people to know that they can just come and try it out, because it’s a really fun time,” Jaasma said.
When asked what she would do differently next time, Rollman replied simply.
“I’ll bring more friends next week,” she said.
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