In this article we describe one of our favorite activities, as well as one of the most exciting… the River Trekking!
- What is River Trekking?
- Where is it Practiced in Italy?
- Who Can Participate?
- What is needed to do River Trekking?
- Why Choose BergamoXP?
What is River Trekking?
River Trekking is a sport born recently and which is also spreading in Italy. It consists of walking down mountain streams and the crystal clear water of the streams replaces the path… nothing could be cooler and more fun!
During the descent, one climbs/unclimbs rocks, swims and walks, dives into pools and goes down natural slides carved into the rock. The verticality is always contained and the aid of ropes and harnesses is not used, as instead happens in the similar sport, Canyoning. Water availability may vary according to the itinerary.
The routes can vary greatly from one another, in terms of duration and difficulty, depending on the place where the activity is practiced.
In addition to being extremely fun, this discipline also allows you to fully immerse yourself in nature and to observe and explore environments that would otherwise be difficult to visit.
Where is River Trekking practiced in Italy?
In Italy, it is practiced from North to South. Among the best-known locations are:
- The Stura valley, in Piedmont.
- Garfagnana, in the Lima valley, in Tuscany.
- The Pre-Alps of Belluno, in Veneto.
- Valnerina, in Umbria.
- Marsica, in Abruzzo.
- Gole dell’Alcantara, in Sicilia.
- Val Brembana, in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy.
These are the main and best-known areas, but in reality there are many local associations, scattered throughout the territory, which organize outings and events.
Who Can Participate?
An ideal activity for those who love nature and water and are not afraid of heights, it can be practiced by anyone. The difficulties can vary a lot from torrent to torrent, and consequently the minimum age from which it is possible to participate.
In general, specific and technical skills are never required, but only the desire to have fun and a little spirit of adventure and adaptation!
What is needed to do River Trekking?
You don’t need big equipment. Unlike Canyoning, where the greater verticality requires the use of ropes and harnesses for abseils, in River Trekking these are not necessary.
Our advice is to always contact specialized outdoor centres, who will probably always provide you with a long john wetsuit and neoprene boots for thermal protection, and a helmet for impact protection. Depending on the route they may also be provided a neoprene jacket, for additional thermal protection, a buoyancy aid vest, for greater impact protection and a significant aid contribution to aquatics, a wetsuit protector harness to avoid premature wear of the same, due to rubbing with rocks.
Instead, participants are usually asked to bring their most intimate clothing: a synthetic T-shirt (absolutely no to cotton, which remains wet and cools the body), a bathing suit, and a pair of sneakers.
Why Choose BergamoXP?
River Trekking in Val Brembana is a particularly intense and exciting activity. The route requires good aquatic skills and a minimum of athletic condition, and offers the participants splendid views and sceneries of a little-known and little-frequented corner of the valley.
Our guides, all patented and experienced, are ready to let you experience a fun adventure in the creek in safety!
To book, simply check out the dedicated activity page on our website.
