That means climbing 3,000 meters in altitude, all while crossing rivers and a glacier. Called “transhumance,” the seasonal movement of livestock is now world cultural heritage.

The flock of 1,400 sheep is driven across an icy glacier tongue.Image: WDR

Along with 1,400 sheep, shepherd Markus and his colleagues travel from South Tyrol to Austria every spring, journeying back again in the fall. Just like his ancestors, Markus looks after the animals on the mountain pastures throughout the summer. It’s an arduous task, but also a dream job.

The flock of sheep moves slowly forward in the snow and thick fog, flanked by the shepherds and their dogs. During the crossing of the Alps, there can be sudden changes in the weather with thick fog and snowfall.Image: WDR

Markus is also responsible for ensuring that the crossing of the Alps runs smoothly again this year. This is no easy feat, as the route over rockfall and ice is dangerous for animals and humans alike. Accidents happen again and again: “One slip and you’re gone,” he says. “But still, it’s something very special. For me, it’s an honor to be part of it.”

Markus, a 25-year-old young man wearing a shepherd's cap and carrying a walking stick, sits in front of the backdrop of the Alps.Image: WDR

Markus spends the summer alone on the mountain pasture, looking after healthy and sick sheep for months on end. A little further down, in the Schnalstal Valley, his brother Johann looks after the family farm and the animals that spend the summer there.

Two young men sit on scree in front of the backdrop of the Alps and talk to each other. Markus and his older brother Johann, who runs the farm in the valley, meet halfway in the Alps and exchange their experiences. Image: WDR

The two brothers are bucking a trend, as sheep farming is hardly financially viable anymore. There is little money to be made from the wool and meat of the animals. Shepherds and farmers increasingly need an additional source of income, or are changing their focus completely. 

The flock of sheep crosses a rushing mountain stream under the supervision of the shepherds and their dogs. Crossing a rushing mountain stream can quickly lead to accidents and the loss of livestock. Image: WDR

Nonetheless, South Tyrolean sheep farmers are still hoping that this season will be better than the last, meaning one without injured sheep, and without accidents. It is important to them that the next generation will also have the opportunity to continue the tradition that has been going on for thousands of years.

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