Director and River Leader Ardeche Adventures

Mike Smith has been instructing and running groups in the Ardeche region of France for twenty years, originally coming to the Ardeche as a BCU senior instructor in 1986 aged just 18! His youthful good looks and charm made him by far the most popular instructor in the gorge!………(.edit this Mike, it's a bit strong!)

After doing several seasons in the Ardeche as well as teaching canoeing and running trips for inner London water sports centres and youth clubs, Mike pursued his career in the Arts! Graduating from St Martins school of Art in 1990, Mike went on to Pursue his passion of Photography, and did an MA in photography at the Royal college of Art, graduating in 1993. Although Mike's professional photography career was well on its way, the cry of the river was still in his blood and in 1995 Mike travelled to Canada to work as a raft guide and safety boater as well as directing the kayak school on the Ottawa River. In 1997, Phil and Mike finally got to make their childhood dream come true! To manage a site for Crystal holidays together in the Ardeche!

After two fantastic seasons, Phil and Mike vowed that one day, this would all be theirs! And canoeing in the Ardeche would be available to the masses and world peace would reign and poverty and hunger would be a thing of the past!

So… they began to plan…. In the daytime Mike continued to work as a professional photographer in London, bagging clients such as Diesel, Paul Smith, The Guardian, and a really great Ad for Domestics staring Alex from Big Brother 2 fame! Mike also began to Lecture! Just a little bit a first, and then full time at the Arts institute at Bournemouth where he helped develop a new course in professional photography. After a couple of years he left to pursue more freelance work and have the time to paddle! Mike took a position of photography pathway leader on the MA Creative Design course at St Martins last year and has just recently moved to the Ardeche permanently.

As well as canoeing and photography, Mike enjoys skimming stones and talking with a Spanish accent to strangers.