Pollux (14.07.2005)

I had climbed Pollux once before, in 2000. That year was a trendmendous snowy year and the climb was a simple walk up the the west flank. I kept telling this to my wife as we progressed towards the flank. It is very steep she kept saying, not getting any sympathy from me...

It turned out the warm summer had turned the face to something completely different of what it was 5 year earlier...

We had the obligatory gear of rope, exe and crampons, but no ice screws. Half way up the face, I realised it was too late to think much about belaying, so we just had to stick to our crampons and axes and do our best...It turned out my very inexperienced wife kept her nerves, did not do any mistakes in the steep ice face (45 degrees?), and we found ourselves safe and sound and the summit.

Clearly, I was happy there was the option to go down via a rock route. THe only problem we encountered there was some traffic jam, as we got behind a couple of Italien grandmothers...