At the alpine descent festival there were people playing alphorns. There was also a person who waved and threw a swiss flag in time to the music. (He almost whacked someone a couple of times.)
06 October 2010
Alpine descent -- the last herd
The last announcement was for a giant flock of sheep. These 300 misbehaved sheep came down from the mountain and then shot past us. Since sheep like to flock, when the front sheep started running, 299 sheep ran after him, leaving the sheep herders in dust.
More of the alpine descent at Charmey
Some of the cows were carrying large wooden forms holding cheese:
Often at the end of the herd the families had carts holding cheesemaking supplies:
This little baby rode all the way down the Alp in this cart:
Reise: Charmey
Recently we headed to Charmey, which is near Fribourg in the Gruyère region of Switzerland. We went to watch an alpine descent. Every year when the weather gets cold up in the mountains, the farmers lead their cows down from the alpine pastures they've been grazing in all summer to warmer winter pastures in the valleys. The farmers often dress in traditional Swiss clothing and they also dress the cows in fancy bells and flowers. In addition to this cow parade, the Charmey descent also included music and food and little booths selling local cheese and crafts. Every 15 to 30 minutes another farm would be announced and a new herd of cows would come marching down the mountain, passing through town and by all the people who had come to watch.
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