Reinhold Messner and his Yaks

Reinhold Messner, South Tyrol’s most famous mountaineer has long been a fan of the Ortles region. In 1985, Messner introduced Tibetan yaks – a bovine species from to Central Asia – to Solda/Sulden. Every year since then, at the end of June, he has herded these shaggy beasts from the valley station of Solda Cable Car to the Madritsch pastures on the slopes of the valley.

Curious locals and visitors accompany the mountaineer and his unusual herd as they make their way into the high mountains. At the end of August, the animals return to the valley.