Pollux

Having seen a good two day weather forecast we decided that we would attempt another two Matterhorn training climbs. This time we chose to do a two day expedition, staying in the Bivi Rossi e Volante once again. On the first day we planned to complete the South West ridge of Pollux (AD) which sounded like a good mixed climb. If there was sufficient time we would then head on to Castor before going on to the bivi hut. On the second day we would attack the SSW flank of the Breithorn (F) which is the easy snow slope that stretches up from the Klein Matterhorn. With this decided we packed our bags ready to catch an early cable car the next morning.

We took the cable car to the Klein Matterhorn early the next day, surrounded by skiiers. We were at the top cable car station and had all our gear out by 8:45 a.m. This was after a significant delay whilst Ali tried to get the ticket machine to accept his ticket which had been inserted upside down!

As expected from the forecast we left the cable car station in stunning sunshine and were able to look around at the splendid views towards Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn, as well as those towards our objectives for the day. We set off along the snow to the point where we left the ski lifts and we passed the start of the Ordinary Route up the Breithorn. From here it became a little less crowded, and we followed the tracks in the snow which headed across the Breithornpass and below the Central Summit of the Breithorn.

From here we took the track which leads below the Bivi Rossi e Volante. On this occasion we were able to find an easier way to cross the crevasse which had caused me some concern on our way to Roccia Nera. The rest of the route to the base of the SW ridge was easy walking over good hard snow, and we made good time.

At the bottom of the rocky SW ridge we stopped to take off our crampons and put our ice axes away. There were several groups in front of us, some of whom were already descending. We did not hang around, since we did not like the idea of one of these groups starting a rock-fall which might have landed on top of us! We started climbing on relatively easy ground, and although I was still getting used to the plastic boots the initial sections caused few difficulties. As we got higher we reached more difficult climbing (which I did not like the idea of descending later in the day), until eventually we arrived at the fixed ropes that are on the last bit of rock before the summit slopes.

The section including the fixed ropes was to prove interesting to say the least because of the number of people attempting to descend this section. Al made his way across the first traverse, and when he reached the other end I followed. From here the next fixed rope led up a chimney which had quite a queue forming at its top. Al made his way up, gaining assistance from this next rope, and then I started to follow. I was a little slower than Al, and matters were not improved when a guide instructed his client to climb down whilst I was still ascending! As you would expect this led to a bit of a tangle, from which we managed to extracate ourselves before continuing. At the top of this section I had my next encounter with an un-impressed guide who tried passing me, catching his bag on my ice axe. I shouted to him in German, and he stopped to untangle the bag from the axe, however he did not look too impressed with us!

After this the route quietened down significantly and we were able to ascend the next (and final) section of fixed ropes without incident. It was clear that I would not be happy down-climbing these sections, so Al agreed that he would set up abseils during the descent. At the top of the rocky section we stopped by a cross to put our crampons back on for the final snow slope to the summit. We decided to leave our bags behind since it was only a short way, and for once Al remembered his camera (a good job as I thought of mine a couple of minutes later). The snow slope to the summit was easy going, and we reached the top at around midday.

We made our way back down to our bags where we stopped for a brief lunch. By this time the clouds were starting to build and the weather was looking a little ominous, despite the weather forecast we had seen the day before (which had been a day old then!). My knee was also starting to ache from an injury sustained a couple of years previously. Becuase of the combination of these factors we decided that we would head back to the Klein Matterhorn and descend in to Zermatt by the cable car.

We reached the first fixed rope quickly and Al efficiently set up an abseil. I followed him in abseiling down to the bottom of all the fixed ropes in one abseil, which was much easier than attempting to down-climb would have been. At the bottom of the fixed ropes we met one other party making their way up. Other than that it was quiet. I led on, picking what I thought was the easiest route down, and we avoided the steep loose rock which we had started our ascent on, by dropping down a bit further to the South, where we met the track which leads round to Castor.

I carried on ahead of Al as we crossed the now soft snow towards the Klein Matterhorn. The going was much more difficult than it had been earlier in the day, although Al didn't seem to notice - he even accused me of getting a sneaky rest and denying it when I tried to stop to look around or to take a photograph! By the time we ascended the last snow slope to the Klien Matterhorn I was thoroughly knackered and looking forward to being allowed a rest. I was eventually afforded the privelege at 3:30 p.m.