In 2008, Spike and two friends won the first Royal Geographical Society and Land Rover bursary. He led the team on a circumnavigation of the world, following the line of 50°N, investigating the social impact of climate change along that shared latitude. After completing the expedition, Spike worked at the RGS for over three years in events and was inspired by a great range of adventurous speakers there. He subsequently supported Sir Ranulph Fiennes’s The Coldest Journey expedition with education engagement in the UK.

Spike Reid is the first person to stand-up paddleboard the length of the River Ganges. The pioneering 98-day journey down the most-polluted major river in the world aimed to raise awareness of the excessive single‑use plastic that ends up in the Ganges, other waterways, and the oceans. The expedition was featured on Discovery Channel India and BBC’s The Travel Show.

Spike’s shorter expeditions include trekking in Afghanistan, the first paddleboard circumnavigation of Martinique, and first ascents of mountains in Siberia and Tajikistan. In addition to personal expeditions, he is an International Mountain Leader and takes tours into remote regions overseas for both groups of adults and groups of teenagers.

Spike is a confident and experienced public speaker.  He has delivered a wide range of talks at the RGS, Adventure Travel Show, Destinations Show, Explorers Connect, Yestival and Tales of Adventure; in addition to conference, after-dinner, school and university presentations.

Spike has travelled to over 70 countries and is a keen photographer, writer, sailor, open‑water swimmer, rock climber, cyclist, calligrapher, and stand-up paddleboarder.