Embrüf–Embri
The return of the sheep
Every year in autumn, a dozen hobby shepherds ascend the steep mountainsides west of the Great Aletsch Glacier to gather the roughly thousand sheep that have grazed freely and unattended there all summer. The sheep climb to heights of up to 3000 meters above sea level. After two days of hard and perilous work, the men lead the animals down to Belalp, where the wool caravan is welcomed with a shepherd's festival. The highlight of the Belalp "Schäful" is the traditional sheep separation on the fourth day: in the old stone pen, the animals are distributed among their owners – a rodeo in the Valaisan style.
