Lately I was commissioned by Lonely Planet to document an Almabtrieb: a traditional cattle drive from the alpine pastures, down through the valleys, and into barns - where the cattle spends the winter. They usually happen in September or October, and if there were no accidents in summer, farmers decorate the cows with flowers and religious signs. I visited the Almabtrieb in Gramai Alm, close to Achensee with my dear colleague journalist Emily Schultheis. Despite the rainy weather, we were lucky enough to spot some sun in the mountains. Usually the cows walk, but this year for some reason, the cows ran. Running among the cows in the crowded streets of Pertisau was an adventure of it’ s own. Luckily nobody was injured, and the cows are resting in their winter residence.
Big thanks to Emily for organising this trip and to Erin, Lonely Plane’st photo editor, for entrusting me with this project.
