Hrunamenn prepare 40-person highland sheep roundup

Hrunamenn will begin their annual highland sheep roundup on Friday, with the first 15 participants heading into the mountains, mbl.is reported. They will ride from the settled areas into Kerlingarfjöll and stay there for the first few days.

More people from Hrunamannahreppur municipality will ride into the highlands on Saturday. The full group will include 40 Hrunamenn. Most will travel on horseback, while others will use all-terrain vehicles and jeeps, including the supply truck.

After staying in Kerlingarfjöll, the herders will move through the highland pastures and back towards the settled areas. The entire flock, about 4,400 sheep, is expected to reach Hrunarétt, a sheepfold, next Thursday. The sorting day will be Friday, September 11. Tungnaréttir in Biskupstungur and Reykjaréttir in Skeið will hold their sorting days on Saturday, September 12.

“Going to the mountains is always something to look forward to,” said Jón Bjarnason, a farmer at Skipholt, head of Hrunamannahreppur municipality and leader of the roundup.

He said the weather forecast for the coming days was excellent, with sunshine and calm conditions. The sheep appeared to be in good condition after the summer, although dry weather may have affected vegetation growth. He said the sorting day and its associated events were an important celebration for the Hrunamenn community and its supporters.