Folklorist Hans Haid had a long conversation with Alfons Gufler on October 16, 2006 at his farm (Hinteroberstein) in “Pfelders” and also recorded it on tape. In summer 2007, Alfons Gufler moved from Pfelders to Ötztal with sheep for the thirtieth time. What happened at the end of August and then at the end of September 1987? How did he experience it all?

jo, das ischt oamol gewesn. hats in 29. august ongfongen schneibm. ischt grod schenwieser kirchtog gewesn. und die sell nocht hats ongfongen schneibm. und in montag hots no woltn gschniibm und in erchtog sein vor dr hitt entn 30 cm gewesn, in erchtig. und dr hittnwirt von dr longtoleckhitt, dr siggi, isch lei mea mitn pistngerät gfohrn bis zur schenwies. und bis sem aui is grod no gongen mit di kettn.

und die schof sein holt olle in die schneabr obm gschtontn und in die schneabr gschtontn und in mittig (= mittwoch) ischt nochr dr obmann kemmen und dr gernot patzlt und no zwoa baurn. zearschts geat kimmt is bundeshea mit dr hubschraubr mitn hei fliegn. und nochr ischt holt olm letz wettr gwesn und nebl und gschniibm und a lausigs ongricht. in pfinstig bin i innr in longtol. sog dr siggi, gea nur jo nit in dr schwärze durch. und sein obm hon i 58 schtean kopp. sell hon i gwisst. und die schwärze ischt a gfährlichs ort. und i honn gsogg: na, i gea nit.

und bin von dr hitt außo und inni und ibr die prugg und bin inni in die schwärze. nebmen boch hon i no in rucksocck niidrgleggt und hon in hund gmocht drbei zuachisitzn. norchr bin i auchi. die schof sein obm zu zwoa schiiebeler gwesn. auchgewootn und hon an wiidr drwuschn. in sem han i aufn ruggn niidrglegg und bei de hintrn schtutzn oorgezoogn bis zen boch. nor hon i an weg kopt. und nochr bin i aur um zu die andrn. und hon die ondrn her und hiegrn boch.

und außrwärts bin i in longtol zuegekehrt und hot dr siggi gschumpfn. alloan do inni in ar selln gfohr. obr i honn mir gedenkt, wenn die sunn auskimmt, bricht alls und laant obi und die schof hon i hiin. und in somstig hon i af dr oan seitn obm a schiibl schteckn kopp, olls gloshort gwesn. bin um drui weg mitn batterieliecht iibrs briggl und in die seitn auhn und honn die schof oha bis zintrigscht hintr dr windlehn und deniidn zen peilstoan aussn. do isch dr lukas keemen und er sogt: um zwelfe kimmt dr hubschraubr hei fliegn. i sell mitfliegn. i sog: lukas, flüig du ma mit, i zoag da die schoofschiibl, i konn nitte, wenn i nüicht untr de fieße honn, geat nitte. donn isch dr lukas ohn und mitgflogn und hons fleißig gemocht und olls guat gongen, hei gflogn. und nochmittooge isch nocha dr transporta auha mit kettn drau und die paurn, i muass sogn, a hilfe, wos ma do findet. und di hobm in transporta voll hei kopp. die paurn hobm iberall drinnt hei getroogn, fir die schofe und hobms gfietrt.

(Zwischenfrage Haid: Und sind gar keine hin gewesen?)
und i hob bein schnea koane hin kopp.

untrn kapellele, wo man ins löngtol geat, hot a ebe glämprt und zwoa lamplr kott. i honn si nitt außrgebrocht vo lautr schnea. nor honn i a platzl ausgetretn, woasch, in schnea drinn gleim angetretn. und die lamplr holt a bissl gsaug bei dr görre und ischt olles guat gongen. die lamplr sein mit hear in herbescht. lebatr. guat gongen. na, i honn wegnen schnea koane hin kopp.

in mantig hobm mir schon in erstn schnea kopp. und in mantig drau hon i in berg oogschaut und oogschaut. ietz sein außr ramol hoach obm schofe gwesn. honn i mitn glos gseachn. hoach obm. sogt dr alfred vo schönwies: gea nur jo nit auchn. gea nur jo nit auchn.

na, i gea nit auchn. und ear ischt hoam außn und i gea zum briggl ochn und in die laanstriche auchn und i bis inchn obm und han die elf schafe genommen. oane hat glämprt und hot a lampl, wilde wie a fuchs. obr die lebm. acht tage nicht kopp. und die schof oor und hon se außn und olles guat gongen.

a schob hebts ocht tog bis zehn tog. ob du muescht die johreszeit oonschaugn. in langes bein aukearn sein se mit drei tog hin. obr zelescht in august wenn die schofe fleisch und fettn hobm und a wolle au und fiern durscht kriagn se schnea, heebms acht bis zehn tage. und do hott si des bewiesen.

Yes, that happened once. It started to snow on August 29. It was the night after the “Schönwieser” church festival. On Monday it continued to snow and on Tuesday there was 30 cm of snow in front of the hut. The owner of the “Langtalereckhütte”, Siggi, drove to the “Schönwieshütte” with his snow groomer. You could only just drive there with snow chains.

The sheep were all standing in the snow. On Wednesday, the chairman, Gernot Patzelt and two more farmers came. As soon as it was possible, the helicopter from the army flew up hay. After that it was always bad weather with fog and snowfall. On Thursday I went to “Langtal”. Siggi said to me: “Don’t go into the “Schwärze”. But I knew I still had 58 sheep there. The “Schwärze” is a dangerous place and I said I wouldn’t go there.

Then I left the hut, crossed the bridge and went up into the “Schwärze”. I put my rucksack down next to the stream and told the dog to sit next to it. Then I went up. The sheep were standing at the top in two groups. I waded up and caught a ram. I put it on its back, grabbed it by the hind feet and pulled it down to the stream. So I had a path, went up to the others and led them all across the stream.

I stopped at the “Langtalereckhütte” on the way out of the valley and Siggi reprimanded me: “In there alone in such danger!”. But I thought to myself, when the sun comes out, the avalanches will break loose and the sheep will all be gone.

I knew that a group of sheep were still stuck on the other side and as the sky was crystal clear on Saturday, I set off at three o’clock in the morning with my flashlight. I went over the bridge and up the side and drove the sheep down behind the “Windlehn”, over to the “Peilstein”. There Lukas came to me and said: “The helicopter is coming at twelve o’clock to deliver hay”. I replied: “Please be so kind and fly instead of me, I can’t do it, if I don’t have any ground under my feet. I’ll show you where the groups of sheep are”. Then Lukas went down and flew with the helicopter. He did well, everything went well and they flew the hay up successfully. In the afternoon, the transporter with snow chains arrived, which they loaded full of hay to take to the sheep and feed them. The farmers were a great help.

(Interposed question Haid: And did no sheep die?)
Despite the snow, not a single sheep died.

Below the chapel where you enter the “Langtal” valley, a ewe has given birth to two little lambs. I couldn’t get them out because of all the snow. So I trod out a place with my feet and trampled down the snow so that the lambs could suckle better and everything went well. The lambs came with me in autumn. Alive. No, I didn’t lose any sheep because of the snow.

We already had the first snow on Monday. And on Monday the following week, I searched the mountain. Outside “Ramol”, high up in the mountains, I saw sheep. I saw them with binoculars, high up. Alfred from “Schönwies” said to me: “Don’t go up there. Don’t go up there”. But I went anyway, I went over the bridge, up along the avalanche line and there were eleven sheep up there and I took all eleven sheep with me. One had a lamb, a wild one, as wild as a fox. But they lived. The sheep had nothing for eight days. Nothing. No food. I took them all downstairs. Everything went well.

A sheep can survive eight to ten days without food. But you have to consider the time of year and the circumstances. In spring, when the sheep are on the move, they would be dead after three days. But in August, when they are fat and well-fed, have thick wool and have snow to quench their thirst, they can survive for eight to ten days.

des ischt in neinundsiebziger jahr gwesn. hon i 1020 in endrn tol durch. bin i alloane gwesn, der iibrfuar ischt ibrn ]mml. woascht, sischt koanr. und nor ischt gonz a letzes we[r inngetroffn, und nochr: schnea, schnea. und nochr ischt gwesn: sein bein aukearn 66 hin gwesn. in langes, beinm aukearn. 66 schtuck sein hin gwesn. ischt a mords oongricht gwesn. de finanzer und de gendarm, olles ho[ si ingsetzt. und hots amol heargseechn: olle zomm]en, mit an baggr inngrobm odr vrbrennen und so. dass is viich aweck kimmt des toate. und zelescht ischt so weit gwesn, bold sie gschtunkn hobm, dass mir sie hobm gekennt inngroobm. ja. und nochr hon i holt inngegrobm und no oanr hat no gholfn. und aua ins ]mmltol und do sein de finanzer oha und gfrogt: hobt es de schof olle inngegrobm? – Jo. – Und morgn um siebn kimmsch am joch döbm und donn gemma schaugn gean. Und de finanzer sein hoamgfoarn und i bin no amol aui und hob grobm, bis ma nicht mea segn ho[. bolt i nicht mea gsegn hob, bin i zua an kno[ hin, mit an speck und an broat, hon i in rucksack kopp. donn bin i untrn kno[ und hob a weil glegn mitm rucksackl untrn kopf und ums togn hob i wieder ongfongn grobn. und donn hob is scho fleißig gmocht und in da fria bin am ]mml hin zu dem wossr und hob mi a bissl ogewoschn, doss i nit a so wild ausschaug. donn sein de finanzer obm gwesn und hobm gsogt: lass es guat sein. de schof sein ingschniibm gwesn. gelaant sein nit viel, obr di sein inschniibm. und donn hot man getriibn. wenn du a schof ontreibst in an an ding obm, is besser steanlassn. de schofe sein schwoch und wenn se nit ze fressn kriagn, hebms des nimma, do sein se gschwächt. (Anmerkung: Alfons Gufler spricht hier von anderen Orten in Tirol.) und donn sein 66 hingwest.

ist der september kemmen. 23. september ist sonntag gwesn. in gurgl 30 cm schnee zmorgets. in gurgl. sonntag gwesn. schafausstellung. 30 cm in gurgl untn. dr schneapflug gfoorn. und in ondrn tog ha[n mir in ]mmlstol ongfongen zommtreibm. jetzt hobm mier holt no gemiesst wortn und wortn, bis es a kloans bissl augeheat hot schneibm und nocha bin i mit 8 leit zum zammtreibm. und in erchtn tog hon i mier gedenkt, wenn di leit nit verlaant wern, war i schon zfriedn. und donn hobm mier de hälne zsomgebrocht in drei togen und sein mit de sem her und nocha holt nochgsuacht, oba in ganzn sein über 100 hin gwesn. langes und herbescht. über 100 sein in die berg bliebn.

That was in 1979. 1020 sheep took me through the valley. I was alone on the drive over to the “Timmelsjoch”. No one else. The weather was really bad and sometimes there was a lot of snow. And so it happened that 66 sheep died during the spring drive. 66 sheep were dead. That was really bad. The financiers and the gendarmes all got involved to ensure that all the dead sheep were removed. How we did it, whether we dug a hole with an excavator to bury the dead animals or burned them, was not important, we just had to get rid of all the dead animals. The dead animals stank when I dug them in, someone helped me with that. Back in “Timmelstal, the financiers came to me again and asked: “Did you bury all the sheep properly? Tomorrow at seven o’clock you will come to the yoke and we will check it”. The financiers then went home and I went up again, because otherwise they would definitely see some feet the next day and so I dug again. Until I could no longer see anything. Then I went to a boulder and ate bacon and bread from my backpack. Then I lay down under the boulder with my head on the backpack. When the day dawned, I continued digging again. I was also very diligent. In the morning, I went to the water at the “Timmelsjoch” and washed myself a bit so that I didn’t look so wild. Then the financiers arrived at the top, others like the day before, and said: “Let it go”.

The sheep were snowed in. There weren’t that many avalanches, but the sheep were snowed in. They were driven, but not to a snow-free place and if you drive a sheep, it’s better to leave it standing. The sheep are weak if they don’t get anything to eat and then they can’t stand being driven forward. (Note: Alfons Gufler is talking about other places in Tyrol here.) 66 sheep were dead. And then September came. September 23rd was a Sunday. There was already 30 cm of snow in the “Gurgl” in the morning. The sheep show took place on this Sunday. But there were 30 cm of snow in the “Gurgl” below. The snowplow was driving. And the next day we were supposed to start collecting the snow in the “Timmelstal” valley.
But now we had to wait until it snowed less. I then set off with eight people to round up. On the first day, I thought it was important that we didn’t get caught in an avalanche, then I’d be happy. In three days we had gathered half of them and then returned with them over the yoke. We searched for sheep several times. In total, however, over 100 sheep were dead. In spring and autumn, because over 100 remained on the mountain.