Pollux (14.05.2019)

Written by hmsv1 (Hannah Vickers) GSM

Start point Klein Matterhorn
Characteristic Alpine trip
Map
Ascents Pollux (4,092m) 14.05.2019

After having a chilled out weekend in Chamonix after our trip up the Dufourspitze I’d decided to stay for an extra few days in the Alps to make the most of the sunny weather that had been forecasted for the coming week, though I’d missed the fact that there were strong winds up high of around 70-80kph as well. Anyway since Rob and Simon were off to make an attempt on Mont Blanc, I was going to meet up with guide Thor Husted who was originally from Taos in New Mexico but had been living and working in Chamonix for a good part of the past 2 decades. We had a brief chat about possible objectives - I was at first keen to do an ascent of the Dom though after having taken into consideration the forecasted winds for tuesday morning, this didn’t seem particularly likely. The choice was mainly between the Aiguille d’Argentiere, close by to Chamonix or one of the 4000ers easily accessed from Zermatt. I’d not done Pollux, but since this could be ascended from the Val d’Ayas hut relatively quickly and with potential respite from the wind on the ridge, it seemed like the most likely peak which could be summited in the conditions we expected. In some ways I was a bit glad with the decision since I was still feeling a bit tired after the Dufourspitze and Pollux wouldn’t involve a big ascent.

We had an 8.30am departure from Chamonix and headed over to Zermatt again where we took the lift back up to the Klein Matterhorn. Not much had changed in the past 2 days, except that this time it was amusing to take a closer look at our route through the gorge from the Gornergletscher which eventually got us to the pistes below Trockener Steg. As expected it was very windy once we got out of the Klein Matterhorn station, but as we skied/skinned across the glacier towards Pollux with the Breithorn massif to our left it was surprisingly calm and almost too hot with all the jackets I’d put on. There were a couple of transitions taking off skins, skiing, putting skins on again - seemed like a lot of faff just to go to the Val d’Ayas hut, but it was at least not very strenuous. The hut itself is located at around 3400m on the edge of the Grande Verra glacier on the south side of the mountain. It’s a pretty cool position and holds the sun for much of the afternoon and early evening, so I was glad to have spent the night here. And since the hut was now closed until the summer season only the winter room was open, which is made up of a basic dormitory with some bunk beds and a small dining area. We were the only ones staying in the winter room that evening, so it was possibly the quietest and maybe also coldest night I’ve spent in an alpine hut. Had plenty of blankets to use though!

On the journey across to the Val d'Ayas hut from the Klein Matterhorn, with Lyskamm, Pollux and Castor in the background
On the journey across to the Val d'Ayas hut from the Klein Matterhorn, with Lyskamm, Pollux and Castor in the background
Thor skiing down the Grande Verra glacier toward the Ayas hut
Thor skiing down the Grande Verra glacier toward the Ayas hut
The Val d'Ayas hut
The Val d'Ayas hut
View into Italy from the hut
View into Italy from the hut

With only some 700m of height gain between the hut and the summit of Pollux there was no need for a super-early start, so we got up at 5am and left some time after 6am. Already from the hut we could see a strong plume of spindrift being channelled across the summit of Pollux, which wasn’t a particularly welcoming sight but it gave me plenty of time to psyche myself up for a lot of wind later on. Skinning back up the glacier with a cold wind blowing down at us made for hard work, but once we’d traversed across to the foot of the southwest ridge it was actually quite calm and I hoped it would stay that way for much of the time we climbed the ridge…. We switched to crampons and ice axe here and tucked the skis well in toward the rock to make sure they didn’t get stolen by the wind and from there started making our way up to the ridge, approaching from the left (west) side. Much of the ridge consisted of easy walking/scarmbling, though the snow cover was better in some places than in others where it was a bit porous and the crampons would just hit the rocks underneath. Anyway, the main “crux” of the route was a short mixed climb aided by fixed chains, the first part of which traversed some dry slabs and the final part was nice easy mixed climbing which the fixed chains were really necessary for. Climbing the slabs in ski boots and crampons is probably not an experience I will come to embrace in the future, but it was only a short section and quickly overcome with the help of the chains! Once we’d climbed the final pitch up to the top of the mixed ridge, we ended up at some sort of false summit with a madonna on it. From there we got a good view of the easy snow slopes ahead, and of the impressive plume of snow being blasted across it!

On the skin up to the foot of the southwest ridge of Pollux
On the skin up to the foot of the southwest ridge of Pollux
View of Castor from the ridge
View of Castor from the ridge
Me on the ridge (photo by Thor H)
Me on the ridge (photo by Thor H)
Lyskamm (centre) and Castor (right) from the ridge
Lyskamm (centre) and Castor (right) from the ridge
The Breithorn massif
The Breithorn massif
View upwards from the start of the fixed chains
View upwards from the start of the fixed chains

Well, after a quick break behind the ridge at the foresummit we eventually braced ourselves for the oncoming wind and emerged onto the snow ridge for the final 100-150m of height gain to the summit. It was almost a bit comical to be out in such ferocious wind and I was pleased we were still fairly well attached to the mountain with crampons on rather than skis! Despite the wind the views were fantastic though, and it was great to get a glimpse of Castor from a different angle. It looks like a rounded pyramid of snow from Pollux :) There was no need to stay at the summit for longer than was needed to take a couple of photos and we cruised straight back down towards the foresummit where we knew there would be some protection from the wind. Then a couple of lowers/abseils down past the fixed chains (two-way system here as well!) and we descended fairly quickly down the remainder of the ridge and took a quicker route down a snow gully back to the skis. It was still fairly early in the day by the time we’d arrived back at the ski depot but the skinning back across and up the glacier to the pistes was baking hot. I struggled to enjoy any aspect of it and was happy to meet the icy wind which started to blow down on us as we approached the Klein Matterhorn lift :) At least from here we could enjoy empty pistes and good spring snow skiing all the way back to Furi giving us a continuous and easy descent of 2000m. Proper Type 1 fun - and a very pleasant way to finish off this year’s ski trip in the Alps!

Thor climbing the slabs at the start of the fixed chains
Thor climbing the slabs at the start of the fixed chains
Me on the final climb up to the foresummit (photo by Thor H)
Me on the final climb up to the foresummit (photo by Thor H)
At the foresummit, Lyskamm and Castor behind
At the foresummit, Lyskamm and Castor behind
Thor contemplating the strong winds on the ridge
Thor contemplating the strong winds on the ridge
The very aesthetic Castor from the summit of Pollux
The very aesthetic Castor from the summit of Pollux
Thor on the ridge
Thor on the ridge
View from the summit
View from the summit
Me at the summit
Me at the summit
Thor at the summit with the Breithorn massif behind
Thor at the summit with the Breithorn massif behind
Descent
Descent
Back at the start of the pistes between the Klein Matterhorn and Furi.
Back at the start of the pistes between the Klein Matterhorn and Furi.

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