Castor (mountain)

Castor (Italian: Castore) is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Valais, Switzerland and the Aosta Valley in Italy. It is the higher of a pair of twin peaks (German: Zwillinge), the other being Pollux, named after the Gemini twins of Roman mythology. Castor's peak is at an elevation of 4,225 m (13,862 ft), and it lies between Breithorn and the Monte Rosa. It is separated from Pollux by a pass at 3,847 m (12,621 ft), named Passo di Verra in Italian and Zwillingsjoch in German.

Castor
Italian: Castore
Pollux (left) and Castor (right)
Highest point
Elevation	4,225 m (13,862 ft)
Prominence	156 m (512 ft)
Parent peak	Dufourspitze
Coordinates	45°55′20″N 7°47′34″E
Geography
Castor Location in the Alps
Location	On the Swiss (Valais) – Italian (Aosta Valley) border
Countries	Switzerland and Italy
Parent range	Pennine Alps
Topo map	Swiss Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
Climbing
First ascent	August 23, 1861 by F. W. Jacomb and William Mathews with guide Michel Croz

Ascents are usually made from the alpine hut Capanna Quintino Sella on the Italian side, by means of the Felikjoch and the long and narrow southeast ridge. From the Swiss side, ascents start from Klein Matterhorn and go by way of the Italian glacier Grand Glacier of Verra and the mountain's west flank. The first ascent was made on August 23, 1861.

Image gallery

• 
  Castor (left) and Pollux (right) above the Zwillingsgletscher (English: Twin Glacier) in the back and the lower Grenzgletscher (English: Border Glacier) in front
• 
  Climbing along the summit ridge
• 
  Castor in black and white

See also

• List of 4000 metre peaks of the Alps

References

• Helmut Dumler; Willi P. Burkhardt (1989). Viertausender der Alpen. Munich: Bergverlag Rother. ISBN 3-7633-7427-2.

External links

• Castor on Summitpost