New mixed route established on La Muse Du Trient by British Alpinists Fay Manners and Ella Wright

Fay Manners and Ella Wright were initially drawn to the face during a ski tour from Chamonix in April 2024, when they were travelling via the Col du Chardonnet and Fenêtre de Saleinaz. Unfortunately, their plans to climb the Fynn–Biselx Couloir were turned back by poor snow conditions and instead, Fay skied the Copt Couloir and was struck by the scale and character of the north face rising above the glacier. That moment sparked her curiosity about what lines had been climbed here, and in what style.

Back from that trip, she got stuck into researching the face and, finding that only two mixed routes had previously been recorded on the it, both climbed using traditional protection. Evidence of more recent activity was minimal in terms of anyone having ascended the face using a mixed climbing style, and the wall retained a sense of quiet and possibility.

The need for a modern-mixed line

Fay’s vision was to establish a modern mixed line suitable for late winter or early spring conditions, climbed entirely with ice tools and crampons, and in a strict leave-no-trace style using only removable protection. The aim was not just a new route, but a clean, committed ascent that respected both the terrain and alpine ethics.

The face itself still carries subtle traces of past ascents. Near the Copt Couloir, old cordelettes looped around flakes hint at decades of retreat and improvisation. Since the first ascent of the Dorées Traverse, alpinists unable to find the proper line have occasionally descended this way, leaving only faint evidence behind. These were the only remnants of previous climbers that Fay and Ella encountered on the wall.

Deeper research added further insight into the history of the face. In July 1972, Jean Troillet established a route on this face. At that time, summer conditions would have been dramatically different, with the couloir still filled with snow, cooler temperatures stabilising the rock, and the glacier sitting significantly higher - placing the base of the route more than 50m above their current start. Today, a July-approach would be far more serious, with rockfall and unstable terrain making the face increasingly threatened during any summer attempts.

This shifting environment helped shape the concept of Fay and Ella's route: a modern mixed line, climbed when the couloir is still in condition, in late winter or early spring, and the face lends itself to being climbed with ice tools and crampons from bottom to top. Instead of a summer rock climb, this would become a continuous mixed climbing experience.

An all-female team

Equally important was the style. No all-female team had opened a route on this face - neither rock nor mixed - and such ascents remain rare in the wider region. Fay was determined not only to establish a new line, but to do so in a way that respected the mountain’s existing ethics. The granite offered natural protection cracks, flakes, and constrictions making a bolt-free ascent both possible and meaningful. In keeping with the traditions of earlier alpinists, who relied on pitons and even wooden wedges, the team committed to leaving the rock untouched.

On 2 April, they approached the Cabane du Trient in Switzerland which served as the perfect vantage point to study the granite and searching for a natural, aesthetic line that would finish cleanly on the ridge rather than escaping onto less elegant ground.

Choosing to climb over two days, prioritising style and decision-making over speed, they began on 3rd April, climbing three pitches, fixing their ropes to natural anchors before descending. This allowed them to refine their line without pressure, ensuring their leave-no-trace ethic remained intact.

Returning for the second day of climbing, they continued into more sustained terrain. Two crux pitches, both around M7, defined the technical heart of the route. Between these sections, the climbing varied from delicate footwork to more physical sequences, with moments of flowing, enjoyable movement on featured granite.

They named the route La Muse du Trient, reflecting both the creative process behind its discovery and a sense of inspiration drawn from the mountain itself. The name acknowledges intuition, collaboration and the evolving relationship between climber and environment, while also recognising the legacy of those who have moved through this face before.

Fay said "For us, the ascent was also about reading change. The Trient region is evolving with a warming climate, and the line they chose reflects conditions that now favour winter and early spring movement rather than summer rock travel. In this way, the route feels both modern and responsive, shaped by present-day realities as much as alpine tradition."

As an all-female team establishing a new mixed line in a setting still largely dominated by men, particularly in exploratory climbing, their ascent stands as a quiet but meaningful marker of what is possible. More than anything, it points toward broader access, shared experience, and the growing range of voices shaping the future of alpine climbing.