Pollux / Polucce (4092 m a.s.l., Walliské Alpy)

About peak Pollux / Polucce

Itálie

Logged on Vrcholovka 13x in total. Vrchol Pollux / Polucce was added here by Jar Faldy and info was completed by Martin Horáček.

Pollux / Polucce is part of challenges: 39 quattromila italiani, 48 Swiss 4000ers, Alpine Four-thousanders

Pollux is one of the twins, the other being his slightly taller neighbor Castor, and together they form the famous duo from Greek mythology: Castor and Pollux. The reason is clear when you look at the peaks from the Zermatt (Swiss) side of the mountain: Castor and Pollux look almost identical. This is a clear reason why both peaks are often referred to as "Zwillinge," which translates from German as "twins." Pollux was first climbed on August 1, 1864, by Jules Jacot from Geneva with guides Josef-Marie Perren and Peter Taugwalder.
Due to the combination of climbing with snow and ice, Pollux is a popular destination. People often consider Pollux to be one of the most beautiful normal routes (in this case, the SW ridge) on a 4000-meter high mountain in the Monte Rosa group. The mountain's popularity has several reasons, such as accessibility: Pollux can be ascended as a day trip using the Klein Matterhorn cable car from Zermatt. Nearby are also the Ayas and Mezzalama huts, and the peaks are often climbed as part of the so-called Spaghetti Tour, a circular hike that includes climbing over 10 peaks of the Monte Rosa massif at 4000 meters during a week. The fact that Pollux is one of the 82 4000-meter peaks in the Alps also attracts climbers.
Around the mountain, there are several mountain huts. Most ascents are made from Rifugio Val d'Ayas (3420 m) or the slightly lower Rifugio Mezzalama (3026 m). Both are located on the southern side of the mountain in Italy. Another option is Bivacco Rossi e Volante, a bivouac located west of Pollux at an altitude of 3750 meters.

Chalet/accommodation

There is no chalet on the peak.

Stroller access

Peak is not stroller accessible.

Views

There are views from the peak.

Cable car

There is no cable car to this peak.

Equipment

Special equipment is required for this summit.

Accessibility

Peak is freely accessible.

Nearest peaks: Breithorn - Roccia Nera (4075 m,  1 km) Castor / Punta Castore (4223 m,  1 km) Piccolo Castor (4180 m,  1.3 km) Breithorn Zwilling (4106 m,  1.5 km) Punta Felik (4174 m,  1.5 km) Breithorn Orientale / East (4139 m,  1.8 km) Felikhorn (4087 m,  1.9 km) Westlicher Breithornzwilling (4139 m,  2.4 km) Breithorn Centrale / Mittelgipfel (4159 m,  2.5 km)

Routes nearby

Výstup na Castor (4226 m) ze švýcarského Zermattu přes Rif. Lambronecca
(elevation gain 1000 m, 20 km)
Výstup na snadnou čtyřtisícovku Breithorn ve Walliských Alpách
(elevation gain 770 m, 9 km)
Výstup na čtyřtisícovku Castor od jihu z italského Grenne
(elevation gain 2500 m, 20 km)
Pohodový trek pod nádherným Matterhornem
(elevation gain 1200 m, 18 km)
Výstup na čtyřtisícovku Signalkuppe ve švýcarských Alpách
(elevation gain 2800 m, 27 km)
Největším alpským masivem Monte Rosa na Punta Dufour neboli Dufourspitze
(elevation gain 3000 m, 30 km)
Výstup masivem Monte Rosy na Dufourspitze v Alpách
(elevation gain 2200 m, 26 km)
Výstup na čtvrtý nejvyšší vrchol Alp – Lyskamm
(elevation gain 3700 m, 38 km)
Výstup na jeden z nejkrásnějších vrcholů Alp - Matterhorn
(elevation gain 3500 m, 24 km)