Stock Photo - Transhumance - the great sheep trek across the main alpine crest in the Otztal Alps between South Tyrol, Italy, and North Tyrol, Austria This very special sheep drive is part of the intangible cultural heritage of the austrian UNESCO Commission App 2000 sheep just below the glacier Niederjochferner at an altitude of about 2700m in muddy and rocky moraine terrain Exhausted sheeps push through deep, soft, wet snow after an 8 hour trek Since the 14th century mountain farmers from South Tyrol, Alto Adige, valleys of Schnalstal, Val Senales and Vinschgau, Val Venosta, have grazing rights on the northern side of the Alps near Vent in the Oetztal Alps In june several thousend sheep are driven across the Hochjoch and Niederjoch 3016m to their summer pastures They cover up to 44km in distance and 3200m in altitude, depending on their starting point The march crosses steep terrain, glaciers, snowfields and loose moraine ridges Europe, Central Europe, Austria June 2012