Tim Dobson
Thinker, Blogger, Hacker, Hiker.
Oh that looks fun I will climb that
11 February 2021
"Oh, that looks fun. I'll climb that!" A pleasant looking sea stack towered out of the same on the Hebridean beach. Soon I was scrambling up, up, up the pinnacle. As I went up, I realised I might have made a mistake. "Stornoway, we have a problem". Let's call it "the cat problem". The cat […]
Walking round the beach looking at beachy things
11 February 2021
We walked round the beach looking at beachy things. There were some rocky outcrops. Suddenly we saw light through one! A cave! Inside the stack was a natural rock arch and some natural cavities and crevices. A satisfying cavey beach explore with Samantha Originally posted on this post on Instagram
Assume nothing about your abilities
10 February 2021
It's often a mistake to assume you can't do something, when that assumption is based on people at the top of their game. If you watched a Grand Prix having never seen a four wheeled motor vehicle, you might say you could never drive like that. And you might be right – you might not […]
Siobhan Monika and Jasmin on a Saturday
9 February 2021
One Saturday in summer, Siobhan, Monika and Jasmin met me and Judith to get to grips with SRT and roped caving. When you're underground, ropes are like roads and can help you access bits of the cave you'd never be able to climb down to. Learning to use SRT (Single Rope Technique) to go down […]
A great day with Kim Katie Peter and Jae
9 February 2021
Thank you Kim Katie Katie Peter and Jae for a a great Climbing Clan evening at Castle Naze way back in the summer. Some highlights:' Jae leading two VDiffs on each side of the pinnacle and belaying a number of people up' Katie Allen doing some of her first outdoor climbs and removing gear for […]
Summer trip with The Caving Crew
9 February 2021
Throwback to a summer trip with The Caving Crew to a historic former Matlock showcave. My highlights:' Sending Monika, Jon and Jasmin off on climbing crawly explorey adventures' Hearing Monika happily returned from Samantha's favourite passage' Watching Jon lie in the water when we finally got to it in, apparent, bliss' Seeing Polly find graffiti, […]
The niece and her great aunt together
8 February 2021
One summer moment when the Niece and her great Aunt appeared simultaneously and started working on sewing projects together. First photo: Niece: "This is how I'm feeling"Second photo: Great Aunt: "You're not supposed to have fun. You're supposed to work whilst I give unwanted advice" Happy moments. Originally posted on this post on Instagram
A summer adventure with the team
8 February 2021
Back in summer, Jasmin, Kirsty, Matt, Steph, Judith and me headed to Bagshawe cavern with The Caving Crew for some of the group's first ever caving trip. Some of my highlights:' Letting Steph lead the party through part of the cave' Reaching the main duck (currently sumped) ' Listening to people complaining about wet feet […]
Sam headed north on her Scottish road trip
7 February 2021
As Sam headed North on her Scottish Road trip, bound for the Outer Hebrides, she made a pitstop in the Peak. With fantastic striking sunshine, it was briefly like life before Covid. Such a contrast from the dark months of lockdown before. Though summer was slowly slipping away and autumn was at the door, that […]
When we suggest people try caving
7 February 2021
Often, when we suggest people might like to try caving, they say "but I don't have the equipment!" It's a fair statement. Who wants to invest hundreds of pounds for the joy of trying something, that someone's trying to convince you is really fun, but where you're wondering if that's actually just something they say. […]
Pausing at the top of the rapid
7 February 2021
We paused at the top of the rapid whilst a boat and its owner were reunited. Ominous. So far it had been easy, and that was stressful. There was supposed to be a "harder" rapid on the river, but noone seemed to be able to remember where it was. Now the most experienced people were […]
The best things about climbing with these two
7 February 2021
The best things about climbing with these two:' Watching them lead their own routes and build their own belays©' Catching up on the latest in Sherlock news ' They bring their own weather, and snacks, to share Yes, these photos were taken last year – don't worry, you didn't blink and miss summer 2021 yet. […]