Castor and Pollux

Tomorrow I will be summiting Pollux - one of two peaks, the twin pair being Castor and Pollux which are situated just slightly northeast of the Matterhorn. While the weather promises to be great for climbing in the first part of the morning, several challenges remain before us. The ascent begins with snow climb, transitions to a rock climb and climaxes with  what the guides promise will be an "epic" ice climb.

Required Tools:
Climbing helmet
Climbing harness
Climbing Boots (different from climbing shoes and/or hiking boots)
1 Ice Axe
1 Pair of Crampons
Warm clothing (applied in layers to accommodate various temperature changes throughout the day)

Three Swiss guides, myself, and two other teachers will be leading 9 students from our start in Zermatt (which rests @ 1620 meters) all the way to the Pollux summit (which rests @ 4091 meters) in what we hope is less than 6 hours, as the weather is supposed to drastically shift in the afternoon to conditions which are less than optimal. :(

HOPEfully these kiddos won't drag their feet and we make the ascent without any trouble.

http://www.worldofstock.com/closeups/TES1532.php

http://www.ueliraz.ch/2009/oberrothorn.htm

***According to Greek Mythology, the twins Castor and Pollux shared the same mother, Leda, but had different fathers: Pollux (the peak on the right) was a descendant of Zeus; Castor (the peak on the left) was the son of Tyndareus.  As a result, Pollux was immortal, but Castor was not. As myth has it, when Castor died, Pollux pleaded with Zeus to allow him to share his immortality with his twin so that they might stay together; the result is what we know as the Gemini constellation.

("Castor and Pollux." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_and_Pollux>.)