About the RiverDeepMountainHigh experience... |
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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 MisconceptionsWe 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.
A Quality ExperienceWe 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.
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Johan Hoving
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 full-time at the all-ability centre - Kepplewray and then as a freelance instructor at some of the many outdoor education centres in the Lakes. |
Emma Hoving
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. |
River Deep Mountain High holidays provide an active and enjoyable experience of the Lake District national park for adults who want to join others for a holiday without the hassle of organising routes, accommodation, food, logistics, etc.
Escaping to the country should be about comfortable accommodation - definitely not roughing it. We believe that this should also translate into how you spend the daytime - getting away from it all, having an excellent experience in quality and comfort.
The Active PartA big part of our holidays is walking (or hiking). Sometimes onto the higher mountain fells and sometimes at lower levels - always with great views. The level of walks available each day will vary and be tailored to suit you and your fellow walkers.
Our walks will always give you the chance to catch your breath with plenty of time to take pictures, soak in the view and find out more about what you see from your guide.
Walking is a great way of seeing and experiencing the incredible landscape around us, but we don't think it’s the only way to do this. Canoeing and trail-cycling are similarly active and very pleasurable alternatives that have benefits walking cannot offer. (See the canoeing and trail-cycling info pages for more details.)
This in mind, mixed in with the walking there will also be some days you can choose to canoe or cycle. The beauty of this is that with most of the holidays you can vary the activities so that you use different muscles each day.
On a similar note, if you just want to have a day off or there’s somewhere you would like to visit, we’ll be happy to advise and make suggestions.
Example routes we have taken for walking, canoeing and cycling are described with the holidays on the following pages. All distances given are approximate, and some routes can be shorter or longer according to the desires of the group. Start and finish times vary depending on the route and activity being taken. A full day walking on the mountains would normally start around 9.30 and finish by 5.00pm, still giving time to relax and get ready for your meal. Some walks or activities may start later or finish earlier suiting the group’s desires - you are on holiday after all.
Explore, stop, have a coffee, look around and at that moment nothing else is important... ...that’s what it’s all about!
LunchesOur packed lunches are truly 1st class - no soggy sandwiches in sight! Once you’ve chosen from our range of tasty fillings and quality breads, we’ll pack them up with pasta salads, Danish pastries, fruit, home-baking and then some fruit juices. For canoeing trips this is done 'hamper' style and it is packed individually for walking days.
Group sizeNormally the group on a holiday will be between 8 and 12 people, allowing 2 walking/activity options a day with around 4-6 people on each. The maximum number of participants on any holiday is 16, with a maximum instructor ratio of 1:8 during walks/activities.
