God of War: Path to the Mountain Walkthrough
After leaving their forest home in God of War, Kratos and Atreus leave to spread Faye's ashes, starting the "Path to the Mountain" journey quest. We'll show you below how to make it through safely and find all the collectibles along the way in our Path to the Mountain walkthrough.
On this page:
- Path to the Mountain Walkthrough in God of War
- Spinning Puzzle Symbols Solution
- Brenna Daudi Boss Fight Guide
- Where to Go After Brenna Daudi
Path to the Mountain Walkthrough in God of War
Beginning the Path to the Mountain quest from Kratos’ home, drop down the gorge ahead of you, and shimmy along the path dead ahead by pressing circle. Hop the gap ahead of you and then press circle on the wall ahead to begin the long climb with Atreus on the back of Kratos. You’ll need to work your way sideways and then up to reach the very top of this cliff face.
In the area at the top of the cliff, you’ll need to work your way to the top of the platform with the raised bridge. First, head to the right and boost Atreus up onto the higher wooden level, and then turn right to see a wheel that you can use to the lower the bridge. When the bridge is lowered, throw the Leviathan Axe at the spinning wheel to freeze the bridge in place, and then let go of the wheel used to lower the bridge.
Now command Atreus to lower the chain by pressing square, and climb on up, but don’t recall the Leviathan Axe just yet. Once you’re at the top of the chain, turn left and hop over two gaps to reach a chest, where Kratos can find a handy stash of Hacksilver. Now head all the way back, past the chain on your right, and you’ll find Atreus looking upwards at the cliff face that you’ll have to climb with the child strapped to your back.
Once the cutscene has concluded at the top of the cliff, head up the ledge on your right, and shimmy through the gap in the rock with Atreus, where you’ll find yourself in the Wildwood’s Edge area. You’ll now have to defeat several Draugr in this area, as well as new Draugr that fire flaming projectiles towards Kratos in the heat of battle. You’ll know when a projectile is being launched when a purple directional indicator appears near Kratos, and while they’re fairly to dodge, the projectile Draugr themselves can be taken out from a distance with a throw of the Leviathan Axe, as well as a few arrows from Atreus.
Before you go to climb up the cliff, turn to your right to see some runes that you can interact with. Doing this will have Atreus read out an interesting lore passage to you, and it’s definitely something you’ll want to keep an eye out for in the future. At the top of the cliff you’ll have to fight a pesky frost Draugr that requires you to use unarmed combat, but when you next come to a fork in the road, turn right to find a special chest. This chest will give you Hel’s Touch, a Light Runic Attack item that you can equip into one of the two slots on Kratos’ Leviathan Axe to boost it in combat.
Now head back to the main path, and you’ll have to perform your new combat move before you can lift the stone block in the path, so hold the left bumper, and then press the right bumper to execute this new ability. After Kratos and Atreus have plummeted to the ground below, you’ll have to fend off a horde of Draugr, so make sure to use Atreus’ arrows as often as you can, as well as sending your Leviathan Axe flying towards the projectile Draugr on the ledge above you.
Press square near the rune symbols on the monument nearby, and you’ll then have to fight off another wave of Draugr. Climb up the side of the wall with Atreus, and when you hear the top you’ll hear some particularly creepy laughter. Drop down onto the ground ahead of you and head forward, where you’ll encounter your first Revenant in God of War. The Revenant enemies are incredibly quick and difficult to deal with, but Atreus’ arrows can help you take them down, as can throwing the Leviathan Axe straight after the Revenant has been stunned by one of the arrows.
After you’ve killed the Revenant, you need to climb up to the cliff above using convenient ledges in the side of the cliff, and then turn to your right to find a chest to find some Soft Svartalheim Steel (you’ll need these for later).
Now head back and jump over the gap, and turn left, to find yourself in a wide open space with yet more projectile Draugr. After you’ve dealt with them, head to the back of the area towards the huge cabinet, and you’ll find the second Jotnar Shrine in God of War.
Now head back to where you turned left into the area, and head down the other path, where you’ll come to an area with a unique looking chest. This chest contains an Idunn Apple, and to unlock it, you’re going to have to find and smash three seals in the forms of special jars by throwing your Leviathan Axe. The first seal is located just to the right of the chest itself, and for the second one, you’ll need to head to the edge of the cliff just to the left of the raised bridge and look up, to see the seal purchasing on the edge of the ledge.
For the third and final seal, throw your Leviathan Axe to sever the discs holding the bridge up, and then head to the other side of the bridge, before turning left to see the final seal through a gap in the rocks. With every seal now destroyed, head back to the chest to claim the Idunn Apple, and inch one step closer to raising the maximum health of Kratos.
Now head through to the next area past where you found the third and final seal, and you’ll have to deal with another Revenant, as well as several of the tougher type of Draugr, so make sure to use Atreus to help you. After this is done, look to the left of the raised bridge for the wheel, and raise the pendulum until you can aim the Leviathan Axe through it at the gap in the fence below the bridge. This will cause the pendulum to break and the bridge to come down, leaving Kratos and Atreus to proceed safely across.
Once you’re over the bridge turn right to find a chest containing Soft Svartalheim Steel, and then continue down the path ahead, until you come to a gate that Kratos can raise by himself. When you’re through the gate, you’ll have to fight several human enemies, which are an easy fight since they keep their distance from you, and you’ll then have to fight several frost Draugr, which can prove pretty challenging since Atreus sits this fight out.
After you’ve boosted Atreus up to higher ground and he’s dropped the chain down to you, get yourself up to the higher ledge and shimmy along the ledge protruding from the wall, towards the chain. Once you’ve on the other side of the ledge, turn to your right to see a chest hidden away, that contains more Soft Svartalheim Steel. Head towards the shouting on the bridge, and you’ll be introduced to Brok, the travelling merchant of God of War who can upgrade your equipment, while also crafting brand new armor for Kratos and Atreus.
After you’re done kitting yourself out at Brok’s shop, you’ll be challenged to defeat several projectile Draugr, which can be done easily using the ranged attack of the Leviathan Axe. After this, head to the area left of the large gate with the chain to raise it, and you’ll find another chain that you can lower yourself down, with a large chest at the bottom that contains Soft Svartalheim Steel.
Now get yourself back up to where Brok is, and head straight past the merchant, with him and the gate on your left, and you’ll come to a small ledge that you can drop down off of to claim a Faces of Magic Artifact from a corpse.
To find a second Faces of Magic Artifact, you’ll need to head back across the bridge where you met Brok, and keep going until you’re facing the large chest that you opened. You can now find a chain just to the right of you, that’ll let you lower Kratos down to the ground below.
You can now head straight along the narrow path here, until you find a corpse of a fallen soldier at the very end, holding a Faces of Magic Artifact. Now retrace your steps until you’re facing Brok’s shop, and look to your left to see the gate with the chain needed to raise it. Raise the gate, and use the Leviathan Axe to freeze the disc just above the gate, allowing you to pass through once you let the chain go.
Once you’ve passed under the low hanging stone, you’ll need to aim the Leviathan Axe at the top right corner of the door with spikes on, and throw it to open the door. Do this to the second door you find right behind it, and you’ll then find yourself in a rather intimidating looking area with a wall of spikes that descend from the ceiling. You need to act quickly to get through this area unscathed, so throw your Leviathan Axe on the yellow spot to cause the ceiling to raise, then hit the circle underneath the yellow area to freeze the ceiling in place.
You can now hop over to the main area, but beware that Draugr will begin to spawn once you do so. Don’t recall your Leviathan Axe, as this will cause the ceiling to slowly descend, so you’ll have to get rid of the Draugr with your bare fists. Once this is done, recall the Leviathan Axe, and quickly aim it at the yellow section of the board in the back right corner of the area, once again using the axe to freeze the circle underneath it in place. Look up from the circle, and you’ll see one of the seal jars associated with the chests that hold Idunn Apples, so smash it with the Leviathan Axe before quickly using it to once again restore the ceiling back in its raised position.
You’ll now have to use the axe to open the large door at the back of the area, and since this requires two throws of the axe, don’t be afraid to raise the ceiling again in between throws. Once the door is open, head through it and recall the axe to make the ceiling drop, before hopping up to the next floor. You can now turn back around and jump on top of the ceiling that was previously descending on you. Turn to your left to see the second seal jar you can smash for the chest.
For the third and final seal, head to the end of the area so you’re looking down at where Kratos was when you first entered the room with the falling ceiling, and you’ll have to raise the ceiling so you’re looking down on a platform with the third and final seal jar. Smash the jar with the axe while the ceiling is raised, and you can finally open the chest, which actually contains a Horn of Blood Mead. There are nine Horns of Blood Mead scattered throughout God of War, and for every three you find, you’ll increase the maximum Rage that Kratos can pull off.
Now drop back down off the former ceiling, and you can collect another Faces of Magic item waiting for you on the floor by the corpse. Head out of the cave to open ground, and once the small cutscene has played out, you can head to your left to claim another Faces of Magic artifact next to the corpse on the cliff edge. Head forward to where Atreus is, and you’ll kick off a puzzle.
Spinning Puzzle Symbols Solution
Instead of interacting with Atreus, head up the two ledges to your left, and once you’re at the top looking down on the boy, then you can press square to call out to him. Now press circle to begin spinning the gigantic wheel, and head back down to where Atreus is. You’ll now need to hit all the small plates whenever you can to stop the different sections of the spinning wheel, starting with the innermost one and working your ways outwards. You want to recall the Leviathan Axe at the exact time that the symbols on two of the rings align, so that they’re moving in synchronicity. When you’ve aligned up all three of the spinning rings on the wheel, the challenge will be completed.
Head into the cave with Atreus, and head left where the path forks in order to find another Faces of Magic collectible on top of the ledge. Head through the cave with Atreus, and you’ll find yourself in a clearing facing a boss fight with Brenna Daudi.
Brenna Daudi Boss Fight Guide
For this boss fight, Kratos is going to need to move quickly. You’ll need to be on the lookout from powerful area of effect fire attacks from Brenna Daudi, all while using Atreus’ arrows to take out the various frost Draugr that spawn around the boss arena.
If you’re got a Spartan Rage ability stored up, which you definitely should if you’re laying into the frost Draugr themselves, make sure to use it to make short work of Brenna Daudi. Otherwise, you’re going to want to hone in on the boss quickly, land a few attacks, and then quickly back off again, waiting for the huge troll to make its next fiery move.
Where to Go After Brenna Daudi
Once Brenna Daudi is defeated, head to the area left of the boss arena, and you’ll find a new chest that’s locked by three seals. This time the seals aren’t jars however, but they’re instead hanging pots that you need to hit within a certain time with your Leviathan Axe, before they all reset. We’d recommend starting off with the one nearest to the chest, then the pot to the left of that on top of the cliff, and then you’ll have to run very quickly back to the arena where you fought Brenna Daudi, in order to hit the third and final pot on top of a cliff ledge there.
Once you’ve hit all three within a certain time (which might take multiple attempts), you can open the chest and claim an Idunn Apple for yourself. Collect three of these, and you’ll increase the maximum health of Kratos.
You can now head through the large cave at the end of the area where you battled Brenna Daudi, and Atreus will begin to target a boar with his bow. Help him aim with the right analog stick, and then loose the arrow by pressing square. When you’re in the village with all the corpses, head round to the left, and you’ll see a house with a burning roof. Behind this house, you can find a Faces of Magic item on the ground. A frost Draugr will jump out at you as you exit the area, and you’ll then have to raise a stone pillar, so you can continue tracking the boar.
You’ll then need to pursue Atreus through the foggy area, which is a lot easier than it sounds. If the game gives you a button prompt to call Atreus with square, you’ll know you’re headed in the correct direction. When you eventually catch up to Atreus and his new friend, you’ll have to carry the boar all the way back to the new area in the Witch’s house. Simply collect some white flowers in the next section behind the house, and then help Atreus on the other side of the house, before returning to the witch to conclude the section.
Once you’re out of the house and in the murky cavern, you’ll want to head to the end of the narrow path, and then turn left, where you’ll see a corpse with some Hacksilver. Drop down the ledge by the corpse, and then defeated the Draugr you encounter at the bottom, before using the handle on the massive cart to move it to the opposite end of the cavern. Doing this will allow you to open the chest where the cart previously stood, letting you claim the elusive Soft Svartalheim Steel within.
Now head back up the ledges to where you diverted downward, and you’ll need to jump across two gaps in order to bring yourself closer to the boat at the dock. Use the boat to transport Kratos and Atreus downriver to the huge lake. Once here, you’ll need to head towards the statue marked on your compass in the middle of the lake, where a rather mind blowing cutscene will occur.
You now have the opportunity to visit any of the islands scattered around the new region of the Lake of Nine. To continue on the journey of God of War, dock at the central island just a short distance from Kratos and Atreus. Once you reach the upper level, Brok will introduce you to his brand new shop, giving you a tutorial for fast travel in the process, all while letting you purchase wrist and waist armor for Kratos for the first time.
Once you’ve had your fill of Brok’s shop, head out of the shop and towards the mountain, ignoring the lever in the middle of the walkway since the horn at the upper level is useless as of right now, and continue ahead on the path until Draugr spawn ahead of you. Take out the Draugr, making sure to put Atreus to good use with his bow as always, and you can then smash through two chests to claim large amounts of Hacksilver.
Proceed through the two massive doors, and you’ll need to deal with several more Draugr. Once they’re down, turn to your left, and you can hop over a fallen stone pillar to reach a new Jotnar Shrine, which Atreus will record in his notes. Turn around and head down the opposite path off the hall, where you’ll have to throw the Leviathan Axe at the lit brazier to stop it spewing the liquid all over the floor. You can now pass safely through, but there’s a second brazier that you’ll have to hit with the axe, before you can jump down off the cliff at the end of the path, and encounter the Wurm, a brand new enemy.
Take care of the Wurm after spotting the brazier with your axe, and then use the chest to the left of it to recover a Muspelheim Cypher piece, kicking off a brand new side quest. Now climb up the ladder ahead of you, and open the door at the end of the path, where you’ll meet a rather intriguing NPC.
After your encounter with the brand new merchant, head out of the path directly opposite the NPC, where you’ll be attacked by a swarm of projectile Draugr and Wurms. Kill all of them, which shouldn’t be too difficult with Atreus’ arrows, and you can then follow the path up to the right, where you’ll encounter a Revenant right ahead of you. Instead of following her to the right, take the path on the left and you’ll be able to open a chest, gaining some Soft Svartalheim Steel as well as a gear item for your troubles.
Now head back along the path to the right, and you’ll have to defeat the Revenant using Kratos and Atreus’ combined attack. Now follow the path to the right, and you’ll come across a Hidden Chamber, a mysterious location which you can’t actually open right now. Head back to where you defeated the Revenant and take the other path, where Kratos can climb up the face of the mountain with Atreus on his back. In this new area at the top, you’ll have to kill a few wolves and Draugr before you can further explore.
Once the few enemies have been dealt with, use Kratos’ Leviathan Axe to smash all the red pots in the area, destroying a brazier in the process. With the brazier next to the steps dealt with, you can safely open up the chest there to receive a rather nice gear item for Kratos to equip. Then turn to your left, and you can destroy a total of two red jars there, bringing down a brazier with them. Freeze the last brazier, and you can open the final chest of the area.
Run towards the giant wooden doors and lift the fallen stone pillar out of the way, and you’ll initiate the climactic big fight of the Path to the Mountain quest, with a giant ogre. In this fight, you’ll be against the ogre and several Draugr, so make sure to thin out the Draugr numbers with Atreus’ attacks before concentrating on the ogre itself. Save up your Spartan Rage for use on the ogre, which doesn’t actually have a huge variety of attacks, and it’ll go down without too much trouble, especially if you thinned out the Draugr numbers first.
There's a lot of God of War content here, so why not check out the very strange thing that Baldur has been up to off-camera, or see how the World Serpent got his iconic rumbling voice here?