It was an early start for some of Switzerland's fluffiest residents as around 70 alpacas made their annual journey down a mountain and towards their winter home.

The animals were pictured trekking in a group through the spectacular Kiental valley in the Bernese Oberland as the sun rose over the mountains on Tuesday.

The fluffy procession was part of the traditional Swiss 'alpabzug', a seasonal custom marking the return of livestock from high mountain pastures to farms in the valley.

Belonging to the Arnold and Toni Luginbuehl family and Uli Lippl, the alpacas stayed together as they were carefully guided down the mountain road by shepherds.

And while some may have fancied stopping for a scenic selfie, there was little time for dawdling.

Once they reached the bottom of the valley, the alpacas were loaded onto a livestock truck for the next leg of their journey.

Their destination was a farm in the village of Aeschi, near Spiez, where they will spend the winter after their summer high in the mountains.