A unique way of experiencing sport and nature

The team is our strength. Nature is our working environment: "Do not use nature to sell sport, but use sport to bring all people closer to nature": a concept, the soul that could contain the real mission of River Tribe in this sentence.

However, it would be reductive to dwell on the aforementioned without knowing the story of Antonio and his project, without sharing the 360° adventure between rafting, kayak, mountain bike, , canyoning, trekking, paragliding, yoga and without safeguarding and protecting the nature and those around us.

Antonio Trani's story is a true story. He had a dream, he made it come true and shared it with his closest friends who today are his trusted partners.

But how was River tribe born?

The answer is a journey into the past, with eyes turned to the future.

“Rivertribe was born from the desire to make available all the experience collected and matured in the travels of the current CEO and FOUNDER River Tribe around the world, in my experience as a professional in outdoor and extreme sports and in the rafting in particular and, after having worked for over 20 years in 4 continents between imposing rivers, up to the Himalayan peaks and the largest deserts in Africa, all combined with in-depth knowledge of profound cultures ranging from the Berbers, to the Pachiuti, to the Shamans.”

He could continue to travel and work around the globe, he could produce a short film or a documentary, he could also write a book recounting the various adventures but he preferred to create a place that served as an example and a stimulus for the entire area.

He managed to dispel the usual clichés of Southern Italy where nothing can be done without the necessary support in a context where many are forced to leave their homeland to find work elsewhere; after having reclaimed and revalued an area that had been abandoned for 20 years and had become a landfill, River Tribe was born, a perfect combination of nature, sport, adventure and spirituality. After just 3 years it became the 1st outdoor center in Europe for NatGeo Traveler U.K. in 2019.

The River Tribe concept brings together adventure and holistic activities with the aim of bringing people closer to nature and consequently to themselves, creating an experience that above all nourishes the spirit. The change of the soul which is not limited only to carrying out purely sporting activities but which embraces the profound love for nature as a reason for change for the people who come to visit us

Where was River Tribe born?

"With our closest friends we chose one of the worst places in our municipality of Laino Borgo also because we wanted to have a fairly high social impact, a business card for our town in one of the main arteries of the small municipality by choosing the worst land and reclaiming it, bringing a wave of freshness and innovation but above all a totally new vision in the outdoor sector. We are the only center where you can practice eco-sustainable activities, made up of a group of young professionals of international level, which offers over 14 outdoor sporting activities in a breathtaking environment, quickly attracting the attention of the most important national and international magazines in the sector (Vanity fair, National geographic, Travel magazine) – stimulating other operators and competitors in the valley.“

Today the base camp presents itself as an oasis of peace, a magical place for the spirit, biodiversity and scents of Mediterranean scrub. River Tribe today is an active part in all those processes that concern the environmental protection of the territory, it is today a stage for sports projects, ecological programs, health, education activities for the protection of the territory.

In all this, how can we not mention the experiential overnight stay that River offers its guests. A camping area surrounded by greenery near the river, between a camper area and Tentsile suspended tents among the trees for a unique experience (the southernmost point in Europe where you can live a magical experience). You will be able to do green therapy, relax in the hammocks and enjoy outdoor sports experiences in complete safety.

Reclaim or rather plant trees for every activity carried out in the Pollino National Park or purchase entire forests to protect and defend them from human "threats" such as the presence of the Biomass plant a few km from the center which still burns tons of wood all year round.

“This battle is one of the reasons – states Antonio in one of the last interviews – that pushed me to return here with the aim of creating a place that could act as a model and an example, a place capable of making this area known as much as possible, all accompanied by the spirit of family revenge, “a strong, just and necessary revenge for my father who in the last ten years has fought, complete with convictions, for the fight started against the aforementioned power plant.

Sustainability is one of the values on which we base the project. We try to maintain this attention to environmental protection in every step of our work. From sporting values to management processes to transmitted education, from purchased products to sponsorships. Our "green" soul always prevails as far as possible and is constantly developing, improving and optimizing every little aspect. The first objective of this path is to participate in the development of an eco-sustainable world, capable of safeguarding talent and the natural context together, grasping the innovation of technology and respecting the greenery that surrounds us. Being part of this project means contributing to the defense of nature and the ecosystem by having fun in a place where tourism enhances the territory, an opportunity to rediscover one's roots, have healthy fun, relax and build a better tomorrow.

An eco-sustainable tourism that must not lose the essence of the mission itself, without falling into the mistake of becoming paradoxically unsustainable for the territory given the size and flow of our guests who visit the Lao Valley year after year. Indeed, the final goal is to one day create a sports eco-village that can serve as an experimental, training, productive, independent centre; a community where travellers, writers, farmers, artists, people who love nature and permaculture can live, everything that is in line with respect for the environment, the nature of the individual of themselves, basically everything that generates love.