Sheep ‘on ice’ – the mountain summer is hot

When even the sheep prefer a patch of old snow to the lush, flowering alpine meadows, it’s a sure sign of a sunny and hot mountain summer. This brings me to the question: can a sheep actually sweat?

A long period of fine weather in the summer of 2015, with temperatures in the lowlands reaching over 35 degrees, caused the thermometer to rise unusually high even in the high mountains of the Bernese Oberland. Now, sheep are excellently insulated against cold and heat by their wool, but they only have limited ways to regulate and release body heat – a bit of panting, but no significant sweating. Therefore, sheep need a shelter that protects them from rain and wind and provides shade.

On the Stiereläger high alpine pasture below the Rawil Pass near Lenk, where I was on my way to the Wildstrubelhütte, the sheep helped themselves to a patch of old snow for cooling; they also huddle close together to provide each other with shade.