Balkan Rivers Tour 2016

Balkan Rivers Tour 2016 – countdown till the start

Organized by Leeway collective, the Balkan Rivers Tour is about to start and could well be one of the biggest River conservation project in Europe ever.

Starting on April 16^th on lake Bohinj and in Sava Bohinjka in Slovenia, the mission will carry on for 35 days all the way to Albania; the goal is to paddle on one of the last big free flowing River in Europe, the Vjosa. The project will encompass 6 countries, 18 Rivers and 11 major events with Vjosa flotilla being the largest one.

Balkan River Tour 2016 ©kayaksession.com/ Leeway Collective

This is opportunity for the European kayaking community to show that we are the ones that really care about these amazing rivers and the injustice that is happening to them. The whole Balkan Peninsula is currently facing unpreceded dam craze – no less than 2.700 new dams are planned for the region. Paddlers are in the front lines, as they know these rivers the best.

« If you love a place you have a duty to protect it! » Jeff Johnson

Balkan River Tour 2016 ©kayaksession.com/Leeway Collective

If you know these places then you feel the duty, if you don’t know them yet – join the movement and we promise you will be amazed. You can go with us all the way or join us just for a week, we will need every one and only with you there with us this project can be a successful story. Says project initiator Rok Rozman.

Rozman continues: « We will need the paddlers help and presence mostly during the final week of the Tour. From May 14^th through May 19^th, when a basecamp will be set in a forest on the banks of the Vjosa, next to the town of Tepelene in Albania. This is a perfect starting point for many actions; one group will paddle Aoos/Vjosa from the sourceall the way to Albania, the other will paddle 3 tributaries of the Vjosa and much more…. »

At basecamp visitors can meet with Patagonia ambassadors, locals and supporters from all over the globe and each evening will be enhanced with an event.

Balkan River Tour 2016 Map ©kayaksession.com/ Leeway Collective

May 18^th is the big day – a day for the Vjosa flotilla! We will put in near basecamp in the morning and paddle 40 kilometers of the most dam endangered part of the Vjosa. This will be followed by elite international media that will send the message all over the world. The flotilla will be followed by a wild party for a Wild Vjosa; next day will be a day to prepare for the move to Tirana (Albanian capital), where we will organize a kayak protest in front of Prime Minister’s residence and hand over petition signatures to him on May 20^th.

Come join us in this push to save the Rivers of the Balkans!

Please fill out Event registration factsheet to have us informed about how many of you will be there with us. Thanks!

BRT webpage: www.balkanriverstour.com

Balkan Rivers Tour Fb: https://www.facebook.com/balkanriverstour/

Balkan Rivers Tour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balkanriverstour/

and e-mail: info@balkanriverstour.com

Stay tuned for more!