Climb of Pollux 4.091
Mountaineering in the Monte Rosa Massif

Trip

Ascent to Pollux 4084 mt.

Pollux (4 091 mt) is the second of the two Twins in the massif of Monte Rosa.
Compared to "Castor", which has an higher altitude (mt 4 221), the ascension is certainly more demanding.
We propose the departure from Cervinia as this is less exhausting than the classic route from Val d'Ayas, the panorama along the route is better and finally some delicate and technical passages can be avoided.

One of the twin names coming from the classic mythology symbolizing friendship: Castor&Pollux are two beautiful twin peaks bounded by their eternal closeness. The climb to these two peaks will allow you to enjoy some of the most beautiful landscapes in the Alps, between Italy and Switzerland.
Both climbs do not present any special technical difficulties and the small ridges to be crossed along the route are funny and the summit will reward you with a great the panorama: you will admire the whole Breithorn group, the Matterhorn, the Gran Combin, the Mont Blanc chain, the Gran Paradiso and the nearest Western and Eastern Lyskamm as well as the main peaks of Monte Rosa with Punta Dufour and Nordend, Punta Gnifetti, Punta Parrot and Pyramide Vincent: in short, an incomparable show that will reward all your efforts! To the north, the panorama opens on the Swiss mountains of Valais, while on the south you can see Monviso (Piedmont).

Program

Climb of Pollux Program

DAY 1
Champoluc – Guide di Ayas Hut (3394 m)

Elevation gain: +1300 m
Duration : 5 to 6 hours

Meeting point in Champoluc at 9:00 AM, in front of the cable car ticket office.

From the village, we take a 4x4 taxi to reach the Piani di Verra directly, saving time and allowing us to quickly immerse ourselves in a high mountain environment facing the glaciers of the Monte Rosa massif.

From Piani di Verra (approx. 2300 m), we continue on foot towards the Mezzalama Hut (3004 m) via a gradual trail offering ?????? views of the glacier.

From the hut, we put on crampons and rope up to progress across the glacier, heading towards the Guide di Ayas Hut (3394 m), perched on a rocky spur.

Arrival at the hut, equipment check, and early dinner in preparation for the next day’s ascent.

Please bring a packed lunch for the day.

DAY 2
Guide di Ayas Hut – Pollux Summit (4092 m) – Champoluc

Elevation gain: +700 m / -1800 m
Duration: approximately 8 to 10 hours

Very early start (around 4:00 AM).

We ascend the Ayas Glacier towards the col between Pollux and Castor. The route initially follows glacier terrain, progressing roped up through séracs and crevasses.

We then reach the base of Pollux’s southwest ridge, where the rocky section begins. This part is equipped with fixed ropes and requires confidence in alpine terrain (UIAA grade II/III).

The final ridge is aesthetic and airy, leading to the summit of Pollux (4092 m), offering outstanding views of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, and the entire Alpine range.

After a break at the summit, we descend via the same route back to the hut, then continue down to Champoluc.

Materiel

Mountaineering Technical Equipment 

• Hiking Goretex shoes suitable to crampons
• crampons
• walking poles
• iceaxe
• helmet.

How to dress for Mountaineering

First layer on the skin:

• (merino wool) thermal/breathable long sleeve
• (merino wool) long thermal/breathable underwear
• woolen warm socks

Second layer:

• warm technical sweater
• waterproof & windproof hiking pants

Third layer:

• thin but warm down jacket

Last layer:

• waterproof & windproof Goretex jacket

Important Additionals:

• sleeping sheet for the hut
• warm winter hat
• buff/head-neckband
• warm winter gloves
• headlamp
• suncream (protection factor 50+)
• sunglasses
• camera

If you have any doubts or simply need clarification on what gear to take for your climb, you can take a look at our Blog page "What gear for mountaineering?"

N.B. Consider a change for when you are back to the hut (you can leave some stuff at the hut).

Level

Difficulty of the climb of Pollux

Well-trained hikers or trekkers looking for new perspectives: the climb of Pollux requires being being comfortable at walking with crampons, it is necessary to have resistance to about 8 hours of walk and a good acclimation to altitude, given the stay to above 3500 mt. It is recommended to train yourself appropriately and climb at altitude at least once before this climb.

Useful infos

Useful information to plan your mountain trip

Meeting point on the first day

Meeting with the guide on Day 1 at 9:00 AM in the parking area in Frachey (Champoluc – Val d’Ayas):
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ouhLEtp81paxKsPFA

End of the mountaineering course

End of the tour on the second day at the end of the day at about 4 pm in Champoluc.

Organisation

The week before your departure, you will receive a reminder by email with all the information concerning the meeting and the guide in charge of your group.

Esprit Montagne / Esprit des Guides SA takes care of the hut reservation, you do not need to think about it.

Guiding

French and English speaking local UIAGM mountain guide from our team.

Insurance

Cancellation and repatriation insurance is mandatory, as is mountain search and rescue insurance (minimum cover of 10,000 Euros).

Esprit Montagne offers the following insurance: https://www.assurance-multi-sports.com.

Advice on hiring equipment (crampons, harness, ice axe) and mountaineering boots:

As far as mountaineering boots are concerned, here are the types of boots you should have: Scarpa Triolet GTX
You can rent the equipment, and the shoes if needed, at Montura Store Alpstation in Aosta, at Pellissier Sport in Valtournenche or at Ravanel or Snell in Chamonix.

How to reach Aosta Valley?

• Via Chamonix Mont Blanc – you can reach Chamonix by train from the main French airports or from Geneva airport – then you can reach Courmayeur – Aosta Valley through the Mont Blanc Tunnel (there are buses connections from Chamonix to Aosta Valley, but if you would like to be free to move it is advisable to rent a car).
• Via Geneva or Martigny – you can easily reach Martigny by train from Geneva airport - then you reach Aosta city center via the tunnel of Grand Saint Bernard (there are buses connections from Martigny to Aosta Valley, but if you would like to be free to move it is advisable to rent a car).
• Via Milan/Turin airport
  • by train : https://www.trenitalia.com/trenitalia-france.html
  • rent a car directly to reach Aosta via the highway;
• Or via Bourg Saint Maurice (73700, France) - Col du Petit Saint Bernard - you can reach Bourg Saint Maurice by train from the main French airports. Once in Bourg Saint Maurice you will need to rent a car to reach the Aosta Valley via the Col du Petit Saint Bernard (2 hours drive). It's a slightly longer trip but you can save the toll at the Mont Blanc Tunnel.

If you are coming only for the climb, we can organize you a taxi to pick you up or the mountain guide can come to pick you up on the road nearby Aosta (organization upon booking).

Public transports Aosta Valley

• Bus trasport from Chamonix to Courmayeur: https://aosta.arriva.it/line/courmayeur-chamonix/
• Bus trasport from Courmayeur to Aosta : https://aosta.arriva.it/en/line/aosta-courmayeur-2/
• Bus transport from Milan to Aosta: https://aosta.arriva.it/en/aosta-milano/
• Bus transport whithin the Aosta Region: https://aosta.arriva.it/en/timetables-and-routes/

Bus to the Gressoney Valley

The departure point of the bus for the Gressoney Valley is at the train station in the village of Pont Saint Martin.
For the bus timetable: https://www.vitagroup.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/estivo-gressoney-2022.pdf

Food

• Half board treatment at the refuge
• Lunch and drinks are at your own charge
• before departure, remember to bring food / snacks for the ascent according to your own tastes (cereal bars, dried fruit, chocolate, etc.)

Budget and currency

Italy is in the Eurozone, so the currency is the Euro (€).
The shelter has a credit card terminal, however, we strongly advise you to bring cash!

Car sharing

When you register online, you can choose whether or not you wish to take part in the car-sharing scheme to get to the starting point of your course. Once you have made your booking, you can log back into your Esprit Montagne account to access a section dedicated to carpooling. Here you will find the contacts of the other participants who are interested in car-sharing, so that you can contact them directly.