From June to September, 200 cows live in the high mountain pastures of Llessui (Pallars Sobirà, Catalunya),surrounded by 4,000 hectares of abundant grass. At the beginning of October, the cowherds return to gather their cows from the high mountains. Half are led down in a collective effort by the cowboys and their friends to a parking lot at the old ski slopes of Llessui, where the farmers choose (la tria) and seperate their cows from the group and load their cows on trucks back to their land. Cowherds can have up to 40% more cows when they spend the summer months grazing on the tender grass of the high mountains.
These photos were made between October 5 to 6, 2020 accompanying the cowboys in this process called La Tria (the selection).
Albert Baqueró Cereza (bottom right), a twenty-seven-year-old cowboy makes his debut this year as the cowherd in charge of the cows on this mountain range.
The 'Joke' about Escrita
Cowherds can have up to 40% more cattle when they spend the summer months grazing on the tender grass of the high mountains. They bring their cows up here to increase their numbers and ensure they are well-fed. In Pallarès, broma is the word for this type of cloud.
This is paradoxical because broma means "joke" in Catalan. Yet, when this dense cloud rolls over the fields, cowherds must stop in their tracks to avoid getting disoriented on the mountaintop.
La Cabaneta
Albert Baqueró Cereza lives alone in this high mountain refuge during the four months he takes care of the cows. His only companion is his dog Xispa, who helps him with the cows, and his mobile phone. For the rest of the year, Albert works in Olp taking care of his own cows.
The cowboyJordi Peró, from Ca d'Antema
On October 5, Jordi Peró, the youngest brother of Ca d'Antema, set out with his two brothers and two assistants to gather his 88 cows. Driving them home on horseback, he completed the 25-kilometer journey to La Plana, a village in Vall Fosca.
Brotherhood
Most cowherds run family businesses. In the image, the brothers from Ca d'Antema—Josep, the middle brother (left), and Miquel, the eldest—are having breakfast at La Cabaneta.
Plate of thread
In order to bring down the cows, they must first be collected in small temporary enclosures that farmers build quickly. The image shows the white wire fence, where the cows remain while the cowboys collect the rest of the herd.
Two cows are missing
Josep calls his brother at the other end of the valley to see if they have found two cows on the other side of the mountain. Mobiles and binoculars are the technology they use to find cows. No chips inside the cattle. The Peró brothers say that it is too expensive and unnecessary technology so high up in the mountains, where visibility is clear with binoculars, and mobile phone coverage is very good.
Homeward
Jordi Peró, accompanied by dogs, and on horseback, leads the cows to the farm down the mountain. After four months, the cows return home.
Daily routine
Ton de Camp (left), and Albert Baqueró fix the electric wire of the fence, to prevent the cows from escaping. This is part of Albert's daily work, especially the day before la tria.
Mr. Roy, President
Llessui Mountain is a private mountain, owned by dozens of people who form the management owners association. Mr. Roy, pictured, presides over it. Years ago, these families bought the land from Spain. Everyone pays around 55 euros per animal that grazes on top of the mountain.
Fleeing the winter of Entremonts
The last thing Albert does on October 5th is make sure there are no lost cows behind the peak, in Entremonts.
The day begins
The next day, La Tria, is October 6th. Albert hot chocolate at six in the morning to welcome the 40 farmers who will come to retrieve their cows.
Albert's Cows
Albert has cared for 1,200 cows from various owners for four months. In the picture, some of his, which he collects before the rest of the farmers arrive, and which he arranges for his twin sister to collect.
And there in the background, Llessui
In the image you can see, in the distance, the village of Llessui. The 550 cows will be brought there.The morning has only just begun. There they will be chosen and sent home.
Three cowgirls
From left to right, Montse Tor Vidall, from Mentui, Teresa Baqueró Cereza (Albert's half-sister), from Olp, and Janira Sabarich Blasi, from Rialp. Three cowgirls, with long poles useful for keeping cows at bay.
Help arrives
In the image, some farmers who won't make the trip on foot down the mountain, but will help with the enclosure of the cattle along the way.
9.51 and the descent begins
Farmers will be divided into several groups to bring down the cows in separate, more manageable herds. Each herd comes down from different places. The first meeting point will be the Corral Nou.
Teamwork
The farmers surround one of the herds, of a hundred cows, to take them down to the Corral Nou, where they will meet with the rest for the final descent. Farmers surround them to make sure none of the escape.
Lined up
A herd of cows descends in a line towards Llessui.
Father and son
Jordi and Albert Ravetllat run a farm and a butcher's shop in Bolvir (Cerdanya), a small village near Puigcerdà. In the picture they laugh at the advantages and difficulties of running a family business.
Maravilla
The row of cows stretch across the valley during the last stretch of the walk. This step is called the Maravilla (Wonder).
La Tria (the choice)
It's 1 p.m. Three hours later, the 550 cows arrive in Llessui, all mixed up. Here the cows will have to be identified by their owners and loaded onto trucks.
Goodbye to the high mountains
This cow belongs to Ramon Pellicer and is already loaded into truck, on the way to the farm. After four months of grazing in the high mountains, he returns to Cal Masover de Barbats.
Loaded
Thirty-five cows fit in the trucks and are ready to start the road trip back to the farm.
Arrival home
A cow that belongs to Jordi and Albert Ravetllar arrives in La Cerdanya, in the Nau del Po. It is the final destination after four months of high mountain grazing, a tria, and three hours on the road. It's six o'clock in the afternoon. The cows will graze here until Christmas, when they will be moved to the Empordà during the colder months of winter.