Tim Dobson
Thinker, Blogger, Hacker, Hiker.
Caving on the surface when the sun is shining
20 May 2019
When I tell people I'm going caving, they usually imagine I'm going underground, but this is not always the case. "Going Caving" can be a euphemism for: ' Eating large quantities of French cheese ' Fitting small people into a large cauldron ' Dancing with lasers to McFly til 5am ' Going into BPOTW to […]
When the waves look small but you bring the throwline anyway
25 April 2019
"I won't need that!" she said as we walked towards the beach, the throwline dangling from my hands. – "The waves look pretty big", I said, trying not to put her off. "I know my limits" she retorted. I knew mine – anywhere within a 20metre throw. (What I knew that she didn't, was that […]
Cold clear night swimming under the stars
23 April 2019
It was a cold clear night. We were going swimming outside. I shivered. Was this really a good idea? As we slipped into the heated pool at Hathersage, it was as though we were entering a different dimension. With stars above, blue water ahead and conversation beside, we started social swimming… '' Time stopped. Stars […]
Would a 40-person kayak trip actually work? SWWK proved it does
19 April 2019
Before I arrived, I've got to admit, I was nervous. Would SWWK in a group of 40 work? Would it be a massive faff-fest? Would people be friendly? I shouldn't have doubted. Jamie made sure we kept running, it was one of the most on-time, effective, self organising groups I've ever seen and everyone – […]
Low Force finally lets me run it after years of waiting
17 April 2019
Low Force finally lets me run it. When I first saw Low Force, I was near the start of paddling. I was in awe, but frightened. When I saw it next, I watched other people show how it was possible. I was still scared, but I said next time.. next time. With Dean and Amy's […]
Van life means you can pack everything and go anywhere
13 April 2019
When most people go away, they have to: µ choose what things to bring, ¼ pack it all up plan where they'll stay arrange transport book accommodation It gets complicated, stressful and expensive very quickly. I'm lucky to be able to just drive there, with all my stuff, ready to go. If […]
Swimming in an icy lake near Aviemore
12 April 2019
"My dream is to swim in an icy-lake" is something I don't think I've ever said. But as we were driving past Aviemore, Ellen (who is not used to snow) mentioned she wanted to. A gleaming opportunity presented itself. Most people would dip their toes in, contemplate their life choices and choose tea rooms over […]
First glimpse of the Cuillin Ridge on Skye
11 April 2019
I Skye with my little eye, the Cuillin ridge! When I first visited the Isle of Skye, I was blown away by the huge rocky mountains rose out of moorland right by the sea. It was bigger, spikier and more rugged than anywhere I'd been before. My first trip was my first of many and […]
Scottish highlands adventure with Ellen
5 April 2019
When I first met swiped right on Ellen, "have you been to the Scottish highlands?" wasn't on the tip of my tongue. Maybe it should have been! Ellen lives in Penzance which means it takes ages to get to places that aren't Devon or Cornwall. It is faster to get to France than to Scotland! […]
Making the most of a sunny Sunday morning with the Climbing Clan
2 April 2019
As the Climbing Clan woke up on the Sunday morning of the last weekend trip they were keen to get outside and make use of the location. A scramble in Llyn Idwal was selected, bags were packed, faffing was coordinated in earnest – perfectly timed so the first person out of the door experienced not […]
Climbing Clan weekend at Caseg Fraith in the Ogwen Valley
31 March 2019
Our February Climbing Clan weekend trip was to the Caseg Fraith hut in the Ogwen valley. With 3-4 new to seconding routes outside, we did some training on Little Tryfan before heading to Craig Y Tonnau for more routes and some top roping. It's so rewarding watching people who thought they'd find climbing real rock […]
Climbing Clan celebrates LGBT history week with Climbing and Cake
25 March 2019
Throwback to when The Climbing Clan celebrated LGBT history week with one of our ultra welcoming Climbing and Cake events. @jake_taylor_jones told us what it was like to grow up without allies in his little Welsh town and reminded us we could bring our Climbing Clan welcome and openness to people looking for a little […]