Photo de stock - 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 After arriving in the valley the sheep are being kept in a pen, where the farmers select their sheep also called ´returning of the sheep´ 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/september several thousend sheeps 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, Italy, September 2012