Pollux
4,089 m
Switzerland, Italy
Also known as Pólux, Punta Polluce, +1Also known as
Pólux · Punta Polluce · Поллукс
- Elevation
- 4,089 m
- Prominence
- 243 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: PD+ (SAC route portal (3a)) · III+ (Camptocamp (chained slabs))
A long glacier traverse from the Klein Matterhorn lift past the Breithorn and the Schwarztor to the foot of the south-west ridge, then easy broken rock (II), a chain-equipped slab (III) to a Madonna statue, and a short snow crest to the 4,089 m summit. About 3 hours up; queues at the chains are common.
About <1% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 3 check notes
- ascent 523 m is 2.0× the net gain 264 m: the line probably detours down and back up (not a traverse)
- unresolved waypoints: Madonna statue
- waypoints not on the route line: Breithornpass (222 m off the trail), Schwarztor (226 m off the trail)
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.4 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +523 m
- −258 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 4,089 m
- Time Up
- 2h 56m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 35m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Klein Matterhorn top station (about 3,820 m) walk onto the Breithorn plateau, go east past the Breithornpass and leave the Breithorn track. Traverse the upper Verra Glacier (Grande Ghiacciaio di Verra) eastwards below the Central and East Breithorn and Roccia Nera, passing below the Rossi-Volante bivouac and the Schwarztor (about 3,730 m), then climb east to the foot of the south-west ridge (point 3,793 m). The glacier is heavily crevassed and gets the morning sun early. From the Rifugio Guide della Val d'Ayas (3,420 m) on the Italian side, follow the Verra Glacier north-east towards the Zwillingsjoch and turn left up a steepish north-facing slope at about 3,750 m to the same point. The ridge starts in scree or snow on its west side. Follow the polished line on or just south of the crest over easy blocks (II), turning three small towers on the right and passing left of a red tower, to slabs equipped with chains and bolted belays (III/III+). These lead to a small rocky promontory with a statue of the Madonna, which many people mistake for the top. A snow ridge of about 100 m vertical leads to the summit. Camptocamp gives about 3 hours from Klein Matterhorn; the SAC gives 2½–3 hours and 670 m from the Guide d'Ayas hut. Descend the same way, abseiling at the chains if busy, or go down the south-east ridge (a few moves of III on slabs, or a path to its right) to the Zwillingsjoch and back across the glacier, or on to Castor. When the ridge is snow-free and dry the rock is loose and polished; when plastered it is noticeably harder. The return to the lift involves about 250 m of re-ascent to the Breithorn plateau in afternoon snow.
Start
Klein Matterhorn3,825 m
- Zermatt–Trockener Steg–Klein Matterhorn (Matterhorn Glacier Paradise) cable cars
- Train to Zermatt via Visp (or shuttle train from Täsch), then the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable cars to Klein Matterhorn. From Italy, the Breuil-Cervinia cable cars to Testa Grigia, or bus up the Val d'Ayas towards Champoluc for the Guide d'Ayas hut.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Klein Matterhorn → Pollux | 5.4 | 523 | 258 | 2h 56m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Klein Matterhorn3,825 m
Top station of the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car
- Col: Breithornpass3,805 m
not on route line
- Col: Schwarztor3,720 m
Route passes just below the col (not on route line)
- Feature: Foot of the Pollux south-west ridge4,086 m
not on route line
- Summit: Pollux4,089 m
Key Passages
- Crevassed traverse of the Grande Ghiacciaio di Verra below the Breithorn
- Slope below the Schwarztor to the ridge foot
- Broken rock (II) turning three small towers
- Chained slabs (III/III+) to the Madonna statue
- Final snow ridge
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
Pollux (4,089 m) is the lower of the 'twins' with Castor on the Swiss–Italian border east of the Breithorn. Its normal route crosses a long, crevassed glacier from the Klein Matterhorn lift, then climbs a short rock ridge with chains to a Madonna statue and a snow crest to the summit.
Pollux and its higher neighbour Castor take their names from the twins of Greek myth and rise from the Monte Rosa glaciers above Zermatt and the Val d'Ayas. Pollux is a compact rock peak with a snow cap. It stands east of the Schwarztor and the Breithorn's Roccia Nera and west of the Zwillingsjoch (Colle di Verra), which separates it from Castor. The north face drops to the Schwärze Glacier and the Gorner basin; the south side looks over the Verra Glacier into Italy.
The normal route by the south-west ridge is a popular short alpine climb: an hour or so of easy scrambling and a chain-equipped slab of about III, between a long glacier approach and a short snow ridge. Thanks to the Klein Matterhorn lift it can be done in a day from Zermatt, which makes the chains a bottleneck on fine summer days. Many parties combine it with Castor or with a hut-to-hut traverse of the Monte Rosa 4,000ers, sleeping at the Guide d'Ayas hut.
Conditions vary a lot. With good snow cover the glacier is straightforward and the ridge is short; in dry late summers the Verra Glacier is a maze of open crevasses, and the ridge becomes loose, polished rock where crampons scrape and parties above dislodge stones.
Climbing Notes
Suitable for climbers with roped glacier travel and crevasse-rescue experience who can move confidently on exposed grade II–III rock in crampons. Beginners should go with a guide; Zermatt and Ayas guides run Pollux and Castor regularly, often as a two-day trip via the Guide d'Ayas hut.
Acclimatise first (for example with Breithorn West or a night at the Guide d'Ayas hut). From Zermatt, take the first lift to Klein Matterhorn; allow about 3 hours to the summit and a similar time back, including the reascent to the Breithorn plateau in soft afternoon snow, and check the last cable-car descent. On busy days start early or climb the south-side variant to avoid the queue at the chains. In dry conditions, wear a helmet and keep parties close together on the ridge.
History
Jules Jacot of Geneva with the guides Josef-Marie Perren and Peter Taugwalder (the father, who was on the Matterhorn the following year) made the first ascent on 1 August 1864.
Season
Best Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; very cold
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Ski-mountaineering approach possible; ridge often icy
- Apr
- Ski-mountaineering season; Guide d'Ayas hut open from mid-April
- May
- Spring snow; ridge rocks often plastered
- Jun
- Good glacier cover; Guide d'Ayas hut reopens around 20 June
- Jul
- Main season; busy at the chains
- Aug
- Crevasses open; ridge dry and loose in hot spells
- Sep
- Quieter; icy glacier, short days; huts close mid-September
- Oct
- Huts closed; early snow
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Guide della Val d'Ayas: Società delle Guide di Champoluc-Ayas (+39 0125 307294). The Rossi-Volante bivouac cannot be reserved.
- Fees
- Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car (Zermatt–Klein Matterhorn) or Breuil-Cervinia–Testa Grigia cable car ticket
- Rifugio Guide della Val d'Ayas overnight fee if staying
- Rules
- Zermatt is car-free: park in Täsch and take the shuttle train
- Getting There
Zermatt (Switzerland); Champoluc or Breuil-Cervinia (Italy)
Geneva (GVA) or Zurich (ZRH) for Zermatt; Turin (TRN) or Milan Malpensa (MXP) for the Italian side
- Zermatt: train via Visp; by car, park in Täsch and take the shuttle train. Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable cars to Klein Matterhorn (about 3,820 m)
- Breuil-Cervinia: train to Châtillon-Saint-Vincent and bus; cable cars via Plan Maison to Testa Grigia (3,480 m)
- Val d'Ayas: train to Verrès, bus towards Champoluc; Saint-Jacques road end, then about 5½ hours on foot to the Guide d'Ayas hut
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Altitude
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
2- 3,420 m
Rifugio Guide della Val d'AyasRefugeStaffed
80 beds · About 15 April – 20 May and 20 June – 15 September; winter room with 16 places
- 3,750 m
Bivacco Rossi e VolanteBivouacUnstaffed
10 beds · Always open, unstaffed