Over 1,000 sheep migrate to Alpine pastures in Swiss tradition

A flock of sheep crosses alpine terrain on Thursday, August 12, 2021, during the so-called "Schafuebergang". Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller)

One of Switzerland’s largest traditional sheep migrations took place on mountain trails in canton Graubünden on Saturday.

High above Fläsch in the Rhine Valley, 1,400 sheep were moved from Guschasattel, beneath the 2,560-metre-high Falknis, to the Fläschertal valley.

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The animals will graze in the remote Fläschertal until they are brought down from the alp in October. The spectacular migration includes narrow paths along steep mountain flanks at an altitude of over 2,000 metres. This event has a long-standing tradition, having taken place for decades.

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The enormous herd set off at 6am on Saturday morning. Just over an hour later, the first animals had reached the high Fläschertal valley. The older sheep, although slower, knew the way and made the journey on their own. They covered a distance of around ten kilometres. According to the shepherd, all the sheep completed the hike safely

Adapted from German by DeepL/amva

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