Frenchwoman Soline Kentzel has made the fourth female ascent of Le Voyage E10 7a at Annot in southeastern France. The line is her first of the grade and took her five dedicated trips to complete. 

First climbed in 2017 by British climber James Pearson (UKC News), the sandstone line involves crack climbing and small crimps. Kentzel was inspired to try the route after watching the video of Babsi Zangerl's ascent. She shared in her account of her climb:

"Was trying my maximum level in trad climbing the logical next step in my climbing journey? In any case, as I often like to say: if everything goes wrong, it would still be excellent training for my future goals."

While working the line, Kentzel described the experience as "love at first sight" - despite the run-outs between gear. She explained:

"Firstly because it's a beautiful route, but above all, because I realised the magnitude of the challenge this line represents for me. I realised that I had a dream of being a climber capable of reaching the top of this wall and that, physically and mentally, I was not there yet. Becoming that climber, able to climb the line of her dreams, that unique crack that escapes towards the sky, would become my reason for climbing."

Le Voyage follows an obvious line of weakness for 40 metres, which can be broken down into three parts. The route starts with a technical 7a+ crack leading to a full rest. After this rest, a few moves lead to another good rest that allows you to prepare for the first crux. Kentzel described the hardest sections as follows:

"This first crux is quite long: a set-up followed by some very fingery moves with terrible footholds to reach far into a pocket, all quite high above a good flake. After that, you need to quickly change pace to traverse on pockets, protect in this airy and rather committing section, and reach a decent rest where it's possible to place very convincing protection. Coming out of this rest, it's difficult to chalk for the next 15 moves: you climb a bit before quickly placing the last piece of protection; for me, a #0.2 cam.

"From there begins the hardest section (and quite pumpy): a series of vertical handholds and thin edges for the feet, putting you in very uncomfortable positions. At the end of this section, you will have climbed about 2-3 metres above your last small piece, and it's possible to clip an excellent flake. From here, the final section, which is about 7b, remains the most committing part of the route: a run-out of at least 8 metres for some easy but nerve-wracking climbing, and finally, the very technical final crack with tight hand jams."

Kentzel began by practising cam placements on nearby routes. A pulley injury on her first trip prevented her from working the second crimpy crux. Focusing on "taming" the lower section, she struggled to piece together a sequence on uncomfortable footholds. 

The next trip, Kentzel started lead attempts. She explained:

"I still couldn't link the entire lower crux. I repeatedly fell into the air, often scaring my belayers more than myself. Gradually, my finger improved and I could seriously work on the upper crux. It took me several hours to master all the moves. All, except one, which I struggled with daily: the very last move of the hard section to reach the final jug. On the last day of the trip, after a two-hour session hanging on my grigri in front of the section, I finally found MY beta. A layback move, pulling on the final holds, to move my feet a little higher. On the one hand, I expected this moment and knew it would come: the eureka of the headpointer. On the other hand, I was disheartened. The sequence seemed extreme, demanding on the fingers, with the moves 30 metres off the ground at the very end of a power endurance section. In short, I was frustrated—no miracle method, just pulling hard on the holds."

On her third trip, Kentzel arrived knowing that she was ready for serious attempts. Her mantra became: "two tries a day keeps the doctor away." When she couldn't get past a section, she would ascend the static rope to place the next gear, then continue leading. A key part of the mental process came as she finally completed the first crux. Kentzel wrote:

"After this crux, the spiciest part of the route awaited: three metres above the previous protection, small pieces had to be placed that didn't inspire much confidence. Then you must keep climbing a demanding and uncomfortable section, all without getting too tired. The first time my fingers got stuck in the far-away flat pocket at the end of crux 1, I found myself suspended in the moment. My brain started to fog, and when my thoughts cleared, I realised that my heart was beating too fast. Controlling this emotion, acting on these thoughts to act on my body, was an exciting challenge. Because there's no doubt that the more fear takes over, the higher the chances of making a mistake and falling. Moreover, on each attempt, this section would always be an intense moment. I continued climbing to the next good gear each time, but with a clarity of mind and precision of movement that were quite random. Accepting that each go is unique and that it's impossible to predict and reassuring myself that everything would be fine represented my biggest mental challenge and this was undoubtedly reflected in my climbing."

By her fourth trip, Kentzel felt tired and "overwhelmed" by the weight of the pressure she had put on herself before returning, causing doubt to creep in. She repeatedly fell on the first crux and made limited progress, before heading home. She wrote:

"I had been camping on the floor of my friend Mich's van for a week, who was also struggling with his project. We were both fixtures of the place, starting to become part of the scenery at Annot... I saw guys come, try the route, and leave, but I was still there. Finally, the rain showed up, and we felt tired: it was time for Mich and me to leave, to regenerate our motivation.

"It had been several weeks of climbing and spending all my time exclusively with men. When my friend Juju joined me for a few days, I realised how much I missed and felt sad about not having female friends to share my experiences with. In climbing, as a woman, the further you stray from the beaten path, the more alone you are. Yet, trad climbing shouldn't be such a masculine activity: everyone decides their level of commitment, and what a pity to miss out on the satisfying movements of crack climbing! For me, it's not necessarily much more dangerous, it's just climbing, with even more freedom. At the end of this fourth trip, a bitter feeling took over. While I was convinced that whatever happens, I would keep banging my head against this route and eventually succeed, my confidence took a hit: I saw that my body might not be as strong as I wanted it to be. I especially wondered if I could ever, soon, measure up to the climbs that I dream about without my chances being largely based on hard work, patience, repetition, and optimism."

When she returned for her successful fifth trip, Kentzel's mindset had "evolved". She continued:

"I arrived more humble, prepared for things not to go as planned, and found ways to reduce the pressure. Some of my close friends were there, and I felt their support. Deep down, I knew this time I was here to deliver the final blow and that I wouldn't leave without succeeding, no matter the consequences for my studies and other obligations. Finally, this time the stars aligned, or almost: on the second day, I fell with my hand in the final jug, a bit too low, probably due to a left biceps failure. No problem, I had the moves dialled, and it was only a matter of time. When I finally linked the moves, under my friends' encouragement, not a grain of sand disturbed the unique sequence of this vertical precariousness. Even the run-out section after the upper crux didn't disturb my calmness (though my legs trembled a bit—it had been a while since I left the ground…). I breathed calmly before engaging in the very last section, a round and awkward crack that had led to more than one drop of sweat. Finally, I clipped the anchor, overwhelmed with immense relief: I could finally end this exclusive relationship, leaving this jewel behind. Enjoy a few moments of respite before falling again into the trap of another dream line."

Babsi Zangerl of Austria made the first female ascent in 2021 (UKC Videos) and up until Soline's ascent, the route had been repeated by fellow Frenchwomen Caroline Ciavaldini (UKC News) and Mélissa le Nevé (UKC News).

In 2022, after just six years of climbing, Kentzel freed the 36-pitch route Golden Gate 5.13a/7c+ on Yosemite's El Capitan.