New Alpine Routes on Matterhorn and Mont Blanc

Despite more than 160 years of climbing history, the Alps’ most iconic peaks continue to hold surprises. This summer, two teams of Italian guides proved that new routes remain possible on the legendary Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.

Francois Cazzanelli, right, with his cousins anad the Matterhorn/Cervino behind. Photo: Francois Cazzanelli/Facebook

Il Nodo Infinito – The Infinite Knot on the Matterhorn

Few mountains carry as much mystique as the Matterhorn, first summited in 1865. On August 8-10, 2025, Francois Cazzanelli and his cousins Michelle Cazzanelli and Stefano Stradelli established a new line on the mountain’s south face, known in Italy as Cervino.

Following their family tradition as Cervino guides, they named the 480-meter route Il Nodo Infinito (The Infinite Knot), after the Buddhist symbol of interconnectedness. The line ascends the scudo (the shield) to Pic Tyndall (4,241 m), the flat sub-summit clearly visible from Breuil-Cervinia.

With difficulties up to 7b, the climb can also be done at 6b by avoiding the hardest passages, opening the experience to a wider range of climbers. “It could be one of the most beautiful rock routes on the south face,” said Cazzanelli.

The family noted the historical connection: the Society of Cervino Mountain Guides was founded the same year Edward Whymper achieved the first ascent of the Matterhorn. “Many years have passed, but the spirit with which the Guides live on this mountain has remained unchanged, and we hope it will remain so for generations,” they told to journalists.

A Bold New Line on Mont Blanc’s Brenva Face

Just three weeks earlier, Carlo Filippi, Isaie Maquignaz, and Francesco Ratti opened another new line on the Aiguille de la Brenva (3,278 m), on the Italian side of Mont Blanc.

Despite peak guiding season, the trio carved out two days off work to pursue their project. They sought good rock, little crowding, and “a bit of wildness.” Their climb on the southeast face resulted in a 460-meter line of maximum 7b difficulty, with an easier 6c variation.

According to Ratti, very few routes have been established on this face in the last 20 years. “On the section of the face we focused on, you mainly find classical climbing routes from the 1940s and 1950s,” he said. The only modern line nearby was Via Mares, opened in 2002 by Alex Busca, Massimo Farina, and Erman Tussidor.

The Climb: Precision, Patience, and Minimal Bolts

From a bivouac at the base, the team decided their line just the evening before setting off. Despite recent summer snow flurries, conditions proved suitable.

On July 30, they climbed the first six pitches (300 m) to the steep headwall, fixing the hardest sections before rappelling down. At dawn the next day, they reclimbed the lower pitches and moved onto the final headwall.

Ratti led the crux 7b pitch in about two hours, unsure if they would finish before dark. Fortunately, the last three pitches went faster than expected, and by 4 pm the climbers stood on the summit.

The team emphasized a light touch: “We tried to place as few bolts as possible and to use quick protections,” Ratti explained. On average, there are fewer than two bolts per pitch. He encouraged future climbers to repeat the route in a single push: “It’s a rock-climbing route that requires intuition and good skills in using quick protections.”

A Reminder of Endless Possibility

These two first ascents – on Cervino’s south face and Mont Blanc’s Brenva face – highlight that even the most storied Alpine giants are not exhausted. For climbers willing to look closely, bold new lines still exist, carrying forward the legacy of exploration and the spirit of the Alps.