Micah Markson

“A mountain biker at heart, but bike touring pays the bills!”

Most of the time, I work at the TDA head office in Toronto as the IT Manager, but I also sometimes work on the tours as needed, either as a guide or a bike mechanic. I landed here because my uncle mentioned to me he had a friend—Henry—with this crazy bike company, the friend and I met, and the rest is history.

I studied Business and IT at university, and my previous job was at an exotic car dealership. In my own time, I do more mountain biking than touring, and usually find nice trails to ride wherever our tours take me. Outside of TDA, I’ve cycled across Europe and half of Canada.

The Pamir Highway was a peak experience for me! As a mountain biker, I always love the roughest, crappiest roads our tours travel on. My favourite day of the entire Silk Route was actually the day that most of the other riders thought was the worst—it ended with a long switchback descent on a rough gravel road.

Every day brings a new challenge to solve, whether here in the office or on the side of a road in the desert. I really value that element of my job and relish it immensely.

Ben Shillington

I have worked as a full time professional guide and instructor for the past 15 years which has fortunately taken me all over the globe. I have lead several climbs on Killimanjaro and several peaks in the Himalayas, trekked down the frozen North basin of Lake Winnipeg, skied to the Magnetic North Pole, rode through the Swiss alps and also finished the Arrowhead 135 to name a few. I worked for TDA for the first time in 2008 as the assistant tour director on the Silk Route and I have been waiting for an opportunity ever since to work with TDA again! I look forward to taking you all on an adventure this summer!

Walter Dumont