Tim Dobson
Thinker, Blogger, Hacker, Hiker.
Fairytale paddling past chateaus in France
27 September 2019
Fairytale paddling on fairytale flows, with fairytale friends by fairytale Chateaus. Paddling down part of the Upper Guil above ChateauQ with the ThunderPaddlers was probably one of my paddling highlights – and you can see why! Originally posted on this post on Instagram
Starting my summer tour of the French Alps
23 September 2019
For undisclosed reasons, as I left the UK for my on my tour of the French Alps this summer, the last thing I picked up was a pineapple plant. Safely strapped into the front seat, the Pineapple plant snook through French customs. In Chamonix he gazed at the Christmas cake mountains, spiky peaks sprinkled in […]
Flat water skills are crucial for whitewater kayaking
22 September 2019
An incredibly important part of Whitewater Kayaking happens on flat water. This is known by its technical name "dicking around". A team building and skills development activity, it seeks to answer some of the most pressing questions in the sport: ºHow sunk can a kayak be and still be a boat? ºHow many people can […]
Solo via ferrata is all about the head game
21 September 2019
Solo Via Ferrata is head game. Via Ferrata is like climbing. Or climbing scaffolding. Or something. I felt it was like lead climbing a grade 3 indoor route, but with much more exposure. It's a weird thing because you could say, "I'm clipped in, I'm totally safe" and that's mostly true. But it's also true […]
A typical week living and working in the Briancon area
20 September 2019
When I was staying in the Briancon are, my weeks would usually look like this: Work mon-fri, 9-5. Hear about my friends adventures on the evenings. Politely decline their invitation to skip work to come out with them the following day. Then at the weekend, a new set of friends would arrive and they'd start […]
What do your employers think about you living in a van?
17 September 2019
A few weeks ago my 100yro gran asked me: "What do your employer's think about you living in a van?" You often see me sharing photos of my van, and stories of my outdoor adventures, but you don't often see much about what it is like to run a business from my van… until now. […]
Paddling in the Alps with DRJ Adventures
11 September 2019
Such a pleasure to paddle with the DRJ Adventures team in the Alps this year. On the water, responsible professionals. Off the water, chefs, drivers, mechanics, champion fly swatters. In the water…. Jk that never happened £ Originally posted on this post on Instagram
Moving together across glaciers with proper training
3 September 2019
Moving together across glaciers: respect the environment, get proper training and have fun. » Originally posted on Instagram
Learning in the Alps thanks to the Conville Trust
31 August 2019
Thanks to the Conville Trust, I was in the Alps to learn. Tamsin and Matt were our long suffering question-answerers, chaffuers and water bottle fillers Glaciers are hazard in the Alps, so we learnt how to cross them safely and how to rescue a teammate from a crevasse if they dropped in for a […]
Swimming behind the hidden waterfall at Heydon Brook
24 August 2019
Have you ever swum behind a waterfall?* Heydon Brook's magnificent waterfall is hidden away and hard to reach. But those who do make it, are guaranteed to have the special place to themselves. * in safe, well observed water conditions, with no hydraulics and without additional hazards downstream. Originally posted on this post on Instagram
Lead climbing trad outdoors requires so much more knowledge
19 August 2019
I always feel you need to know about ten times more things to lead climb trad outdoors compared to *start* leading indoors. Even then, you're still learning. In the first 3 photos, Alex is mini-pitching High Buttress Arete so he can practice multipitching (on a hanging belay!) without the exposure and commitment of a big […]
Climbing Barmouth Slabs in atrocious weather
18 August 2019
The weather was atrocious outside. As we left the hut for Barmouth Slabs, liquid doom splattered from the sky, pouring pessimism down the back of our necks. Surely there was no way there could be climbing today, could there? We arrived at the coastal crag with views across the estuary and eyed the rock and […]