Fay Manners. Solo Traverses in Garhwal Himalayas

British alpinist Fay Manners turned hardship into achievement as she completed two new solo traverses.

This autumn, Fay Manners and Michelle Dvorak planned a second attempt to establish a new route on the previously unclimbed peak of Chaukhamba III (6,974 m) in the Indian Himalayas' Garhwal region. However, their plans were thwarted by poor weather, and Michelle fell ill.

The duo faced numerous difficulties from the very start of the expedition: their porters nearly abandoned them far from base camp, and then a week-long storm dumped about 1.5 metres of snow. Dvorak caught a cold, and when temperatures plummeted to -15 °C, she developed severe pneumonia, which forced her to remain at base camp.

Manners, though, was not ready to turn back without an ascent. With Chaukhamba III out of reach, she ventured out alone, climbing higher up the glacier. Following the fresh tracks of a snow leopard, she headed towards an untouched ridge, which she named Asha—the Hindi word for “hope.”

First solo traverse of the Asha (5,400 m), Garhwal Himalaya, India

Difficult: 5a, AD
Total length: 2000 m
Style: Solo, alpine style, autonomy.

Fay Manners. Solo Traverses in Garhwal Himalayas. “Steel Angel”: women’s climbing award

On 18 October, Fay completed the traverse of Peak Asha (5,400 m): a two-kilometre journey along a narrow, spiny ridge. She covered the distance in a single day of continuous movement and graded the route AD 5a. Fay described the experience as “narrow, exposed ridges interspersed with easy sections where you could relax… there was nothing but me, an unclimbed Himalayan ridge, and the silence of the mountains.”

Most of the climb was on sun-baked, compact snow, alternating with shaded sections of knee-deep powder and more technical parts that required careful movement using ice axes.

First solo traverse of the Anamika, AD 4c

Two days later, on 20 October, Manners completed her second solo line: the Anamika traverse (AD 4c). The word “Anamika” roughly translates from Hindi as “the small, wordless joys of life, ” a name that matched the quieter, more contemplative tone of this second ascent.

This route followed a lower ridge towering above the Satopanth Glacier and the eastern flank of Chaukhamba III—the very line she and Michelle Dvorak had hoped to climb. This time, the snow was firm and crusty, almost suitable for skiing in places. Manners climbed without a rope, enjoying a sense of calm that contrasted with the chaos of the previous year.

As another storm began to approach, she and Dvorak left the area a week earlier than originally planned. While the duo have no immediate plans to return to Chaukhamba III, Manners' creative and determined approach ensured that what began as a “failed expedition” concluded with two first ascents.

Manners' achievement highlights a growing trend in modern alpinism: climbers adapting their objectives mid-expedition and opting for solo, exploratory ascents. Her traverses of Asha and Anamika demonstrate how persistence, creativity, and determination can transform disappointment into discovery—even when the primary goal remains out of reach.