A few more days of waiting and, on Friday 10 May, conditions permitting, the exploration of the Vjosa River will begin, an ambitious plan born from the idea of Carlo and Gabriele, two outdoor and environmental conservation enthusiasts. “Ulysses Project” – this is the iconic name chosen for the river crossing that will start from Greece and end in Albania on one of the last uncontaminated waterways in Europe – will be an exploration resulting from the need to protect the natural environment. An initiative featuring uBroker Spa and Reset Energia as main sponsors, together with Acid Rain, South Face Paradise Snc, Pellissier Sport Snc and OutBe Srl, entities that like us share a connection with the land they belong to, Piedmont and the Valle d’Aosta, and precious values: sustainability, energy saving, reduction of environmental impacts and protection of the most precious natural places on Earth.
The plan is ambitious: Carlo Fasciano and Gabriele Melchiorre, Canavese natives, will navigate all 173 km of the Vjosa river using a raft built entirely with recycled and recovered materials. Seven stages from Konitsa on the border between Greece and Albania to the mouth of the Vjosa river on the Adriatic Sea to explore the extraordinary uncontaminated environment together with the local citizens. In fact, citizen science initiatives are planned along the route, because scientific research will also be a faithful companion in this adventure and you will soon discover how. Furthermore, the undertaking does not end here. Carlo and Gabriele will return home sailing from Vlora to Brindisi. For this crossing, the raft will be transformed: a sail and two additional modules on the sides will allow the team to face the sea and all its unknowns. The raft is the result of the ingenuity and commitment of Carlo and Gabriele, who transformed beer kegs and other recycled materials into a structure that stands out for its environmental sustainability. Carlo’s craftsmanship and his welding and assembly skills have given shape to a robust and functional raft. Gabriele, focusing on design and concept, guided the creative process, ensuring that the raft not only met the functional requirements, but also embodied a tangible expression of sustainability. The use of recycled materials not only reduces the environmental impact, but also demonstrates the possibility of creating innovative solutions starting from already existing resources. A vehicle that becomes a true symbol of commitment to a more sustainable world.
“We at uBroker Spa and Reset Energia will participate in the expedition by supporting the team in logistics with the provision of a van to be able to transport everything necessary and actively contributing to the possibility of carrying out field research, thus changing the fate of such a precious place – they explain from uBroker – “Thanks to our contribution, in fact, the team was able to purchase tools and probes useful for collecting data that will be used by prestigious universities; the MeteoTracker sensor for meteorological monitoring, the FreshWater Watch protocol designed by Earthwatch EU for the health status of the river ecosystem and the collection of samples for water quality analyses, and, finally, the EnvLogger sensors for detecting the temperature of the water along the river. Our special correspondents will then follow Carlo and Gabriele on the crossing, which will be told day by day with exclusive content on Progetto Ulisse channels and on our social channels. This expedition represents our deepest values, embracing our vision of the future: a world of energy that is attentive and respectful of planet Earth”.
South Face Paradise, led by its founders Simone Costa and Luca Tenan, also from Canavese, coordinates the project and the logistics part and is committed to providing safety support along the entire journey. Furthermore, he actively participates in the descent of the Vjosa river in a kayak. Finally, in collaboration with the Outbe company, South Face Paradise will be responsible for scientific analyzes along the river, contributing to the collection of data useful for scientific research and the conservation of the river ecosystem.
In fact, the Outbe company already collaborates with the Bicocca University of Milan and the Freshwater project, in partnership with the University of Oxford, to conduct some studies along the Vjosa river. This synergy between the entities taking part in the project promises to provide a solid basis for better understanding the river’s ecosystem and contributing to its long-term protection.
The project is indeed a sporting adventure thanks also to the contribution of Pellissier Sport which contributes to the expedition with the supply of sports clothing, but it extends with a demanding and committed environmental awareness campaign. The Vjosa river has been at the center of an international fight for its protection for several years, known as “Save the Blue Heart of Europe”. Thanks to the joint efforts of environmentalists and the support of major brands and institutions, the national park of the same name was established in 2023, the first wild river park in Europe.
The expedition, therefore, does not only want to document the experience, but aims to produce a documentary that tells the story and the struggle behind the Vjosa river
 – Turin News 24){kind=link}