About the RiverDeepMountainHigh experience...

About how we do 'outdoor activities' | Meet the team | FAQs

About us and how we do 'outdoor activities'

River Deep Mountain High is owned and run by Johan and Emma Hoving. We feel that the world of outdoor activities is not just the domain of cold and wet school trips but that with quality equipment and service, is a pleasurable active way to enjoy the beautiful landscape we are blessed with living in the midst of.

Countering Misconceptions

We established River Deep Mountain High in 2002 on a mission to correct the largely held misconceptions about sports such as open canoeing and ‘the type’ of person that enjoys them. A high percentage of our customers are between 30 and 60 and rather than being 'outdoor types', they are more likely to have never been in a canoe before. They generally make a point however, of saying how much they are looking forward to going out with us again in the future.

We do not see disabilities as a barrier to outdoor activities and pride ourselves on our ability to enable people to achieve what they want to. For example we have taken blind people gorge walking and our canoeists have included wheelchair users, pregnant ladies and aquaphobics.

A Quality Experience

We aim for high quality and try to deliver this throughout. We have chosen equipment that makes for the most pleasurable ride. Our clothing is easy to put on, comfortable to wear when taking part in activities and doesn’t feel like thousands of people have worn it before you. We've also added in services such as one-way journeys on lakes to make the most of the wind and one-way biking journeys to enjoy the downhill trend. We don’t expect you to notice all these things when out with us, we just expect you to enjoy the experience without distraction.

The River Deep, Mountain High Team...

Johan Hoving - Partner and Senior Instructor

Johan's love of the outdoors established itself at a young age, with Mountain Biking and Kayaking being his number one pastimes as a teenager in Nottinghamshire. He then went to Birmingham University to get a BSc in Sport and Exercise Sciences. As well as being the place where he met Emma, Birmingham also opened the opportunity of becoming a trainee instructor at the university’s own outdoor pursuits centre on Coniston Water. After this he worked at some of the many outdoor centres in the Lakes where he honed his own style of giving people a pleasurable experience of outdoor sports on which we have built River Deep Mountain High.

Emma Hoving - Partner and Business Manager

Emma grew up in Chesterfield, gateway to the peak district and a part of her has always enjoyed paddling (in bare feet) in rivers and playing on rocks. Despite this, she staunchly refuses to be classed as an outdoors type as shopping, gardening and cafes are her preferred passions! She completed an MEng in Civil Engineering with Management at Birmingham University, but then followed Johan to the Lake District (he is her husband after all) where she has worked in marketing, training, customer service, cooking and personnel as well as some outdoor instructing - well, inevitable really.

In the office – Beth and Amanda

Our office team are dedicated to helping you book the activities you want quickly and easily, providing local knowledge and assistance where required. If you’re not sure which activities would suit you then we'll happily talk you through the options and give you some ideas.

Instructors – Tim, Liam, Julia, Chris, Colin and Dave

Tim Nicholson and Liam Walsh head up our team of freelance instructors who each bring with them different qualities and specialities. Tim is a local boy who has a mad passion for running down cliff faces and Liam should probably have webbed feet, he spends so much time with them in water! Julia is a keen Snowboarder, having spent time on Expeditions in Greenland, but is a great instructor in the gorges. Chris has skills in a range of outdoor activities and will always ensure a fun session. With Colin's enthusiasm in paddlesports and Dave's excellent skills in Climbing, we really do have a friendly and fun team!