SHEEP DRIVE
Every year in the fall shepherds take their cattle and sheep from the Tusheti mountains over the Abano pass to the Kakheti region in Eastern Georgia.
Going on the road with Tush shepherds is an adventure. The shepherds make this journey in early October just before snow starts to fall. The end goal is to reach the winter pastures in the mild climate zone of Vashlovani in Eastern Georgia. It is hard to start in the first place since no one never exactly knows when the drive will take off. Cattle and shepherds are gathering for days accompanied by their dogs. They kill the time by telling stories and drinking cha cha. It’s a Georgian moonshine up to 80% that is consumed down the hatch. Mornings, afternoons, evenings… Then, at one point, men are mounting their horses, empty the last bottles and go South. Sure enough heavy snowfall starts one day later…
