A trail way up mountain (6)

I believe the answer is:

ascent

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'way up mountain' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'a trail' is the wordplay.
'trail' becomes 'scent' (I've seen this before).
'a'+'scent'='ASCENT'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for ascent that I've seen before include "Act of moving upwards" , "progress" , "Upward journey" , "Upward slope" , "Alpine expedition" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.