Désalpe
The autumn descent of herds from alpine pastures in French-speaking Switzerland and the French Alps.
Also: désarpa, inalpe, montée à l'alpage
The désalpe is the French-speaking counterpart of the Almabtrieb. In Swiss cantons such as Fribourg, Vaud, Valais and the Jura, and in parts of Savoie, cows come down from the alpages in late September or early October wearing decorated headdresses and large bells, followed by the herders in traditional dress and often by the summer's cheeses. Charmey in Gruyère and Saint-Cergue in Vaud hold well-known désalpes that draw large crowds. The spring climb is the inalpe or montée à l'alpage. In the Valais, the cows that come down include the Hérens, the breed of the combats de reines.