God of War: The Journey - Path to the Mountain
A walkthrough to help Kratos and Atreus during their Path to the Mountain in God of War.
Path to the Mountain is the second story mission in God of War, introducing several new mechanics to the game, as well as new NPCs, and loads of collectibles. This walkthrough will be free of spoilers, helping Kratos to navigate the world and solve puzzles along the way.
Path to the Mountain Walkthrough
There will be a new path that Kratos and Atreus can pass through at the beginning of this chapter. Drop down and shimmy along the ledge. Jump the gap and then climb the wall, working past the waterfall. Climb up and into the cave. Hop the barricade to find Kratos and Atreus in a room that is not easy to navigate through.
Not unlike Ellie in The Last of Us, Atreus can be boosted up onto platforms. Before joining him, loot the bottom floor, then turn the wheel in the corner to lower the bridge. Throw the Leviathan axe at the mechanism ahead to hold the bridge in place. Instruct Atreus to lower the chain, then leave the wheel and climb up to him. Explore this level briefly, jumping across a couple platforms to smash open a chest and get some Hacksilver. When ready, climb up with wall with Atreus hitching a ride on Kratos’ back. Stop halfway up the wall to lower the previously inaccessible chain, then climb all the way to the top.
The path gets linear for a bit, but following a cinematic, climb up the platform and move forward until Kratos and Atreus can squeeze between some rocks. This will lead to an open area with Draugrs. It’s another great place to practice combat in the early going, and the game takes a moment to explain the various threat indicators and how to read them.
Continue Towards the Mountain
Following the fight, climb the wall to leave this area, then push forward and keep an eye out on the right side of the path. There will be a chest Kratos can open, and inside is the Hel’s Touch Light Runic Attack Gem that can be slotted into Kratos’ Leviathan axe. The game will run through a tutorial on how this works, so there’s no need for me to explain further here.
Back on the main path, the way will be blocked, but Kratos can move the object and allow himself and Atreus to pass through. Soon, though, another group of Draugrs will be in the way, which is the perfect time to try out the Light Runic Attack (L1 + R1). Clear out the enemies and pick up anything valuable that they drop.
Escape the Ruins
After having Atreus translate more text, be ready for another group of enemies to attack. They are a bit tougher than previous encounters, but still nothing special. Keep the Light Runic Attack in mind, as well as Spartan Rage. When things quiet down, climb the wall where the enemies emerged from to progress.
There will be something creepy singing at the top of the wall. Press forward, making sure to loot whatever small sums of Hacksilver can be found. Once the Revenant spawns, take it out with the help of Atreus. Expect a Revenant to dodge most Leviathan axe throws, but Atreus’ arrows can connect consistently. This will pin the Revenant in place so Kratos can close the distance and land some attacks. Consider this the tutorial on how to kill a Revenant.
In the next room, jump from the ledge and grab onto the wall. Climb up and turn right to find a casket that was visible from the room where the Revenant appeared. Inside that casket will be Soft Svartalfheim Steel, a crafting component for later.
Hop the gap and notice the path splits to the left and right. To the left are a bunch of enemies and a Jotnar shrine that will provide some lore. There are also a bunch of enemies there. To the right is a Nornir chest. When looking at the chest, the three seals are located behind it and to the right, behind Kratos on his right, and across the bridge and in another room. The bridge can be lowered by throwing the Leviathan axe at the mechanisms holding it up. Inside the chest is a Idunn Apple.
With the bridge behind the magic rune chest lowered, cross it and immediately hop up on a ledge to the right. Smash that chest open for some Hacksilver, then drop down and continue. The next room will be occupied by a Revenant and some Draugrs. Use the Light Runic Attack and Spartan Rage to clear it out, utilizing Atreus to distract the Revenant. This one tripped me up a few times, but Spartan Rage took care of things a in a big way.
The nearby bridge that must be lowered is tricky. Below the bridge is an iron grate, but there’s a small hole in it. Once the mechanism is lined up with the hole, throw the Leviathan axe to break the mechanism and lower the bridge completely.
Cross the bridge and turn right, grabbing the Soft Svartalfheim Steel from the casket at the end of the path. Continue forward and lift the gate to the next area, kicking off a short cinematic.
Fight off the Reavers
When the cinematic ends, dispatch all the Reaver enemies, then do it again for the second wave. The second wave is more annoying, but not particularly tough. It’s advisable to use bare-handed combat for the second wave since the Leviathan axe is largely useless against these frost-covered foes. Punch them until there’s nothing left to hit.
In the room where the Reavers appeared will be a chain that is inaccessible. To the right of that chain is a piece of wooden wall. Hoist Atreus up the wall, then keep talking to him as he moves over and drops the chain down for Kratos. Climb up and move into the next area, then shimmy across to the other side along the left wall.
Continue Towards the Mountain
A casket on the right will have another piece of Soft Svartalfheim Steel. It’s about now that a voice will be heard in the distance. Move towards the voice to meet Brok, one of two vendors in the God of War that will provide upgrades to armor and weapons for Kratos and Atreus.
Throw Your Axe at the Trees
Take aim at the birch trees on the right side of the bridge and throw the Leviathan axe towards them. This will scare whatever was in the woods, allowing Brok to continue along the bridge. Soon Kratos will be able to use Brok’s shop to buy gear and upgrade what he already has. In fact, Brok will give Kratos a Frozen Flame, a rare resource that is used to level up the Leviathan axe specifically. Leveling up the Leviathan axe will unlock new skills that can be purchased, but that is covered more in-depth in our guides on how to upgrade the Leviathan axe, and our all skills guide in God of War.
Proceed Through the Gate to the Mountain
The path forward is through the gate, but there’s more to do in the ruins before moving on. To the left of the gate is a bridge that can be knocked down by throwing Kratos’ Leviathan axe at the mechanism. Do so and drop down. The chain that was visible from the magic rune chest is now accessible, but so is a chest with Hacksilver beside it.
Climb down the chain and open the nearby casket. Collect the Soft Svartalfheim Steel inside, then head back to Brok’s shop and go through the gate.
Crouch under the rock just inside the gate. A door with a wooden panel at the top right will block the way. Throw the Leviathan axe at the panel once to open it. The next door will require that the Leviathan axe is thrown at it twice to fully open it. Pass through and notice a hole in the left wall with a casket visible. Throw the Leviathan axe at the same spot on the second door a third time, pushing it even further open and gaining access behind the wall. Inside will be another piece of Soft Svartalfheim Steel.
Back in the main room will be a wooden panel with a mechanism below it. Throw the Leviathan axe at the panel, causing the ceiling across the way to raise. Quickly recall the axe and throw it at the mechanism to lock the ceiling into place. Jump the gap to reach the other side, causing several enemies to spawn. Hop back to the side Atreus is standing on and recall the axe, crushing the enemies. It will be necessary to raise the ceiling again to return to that side.
Once all the enemies are cleared out on both sides, take note of the chest with Hacksilver in the corner of the room. There is also another door with a wooden panel on the top right, and another wooden panel with a mechanism to the right of that. Recall the Leviathan axe and immediately throw it at the wooden panel to the right of the door, then recall it again and throw it at the door to open it. Repeat this until the door is open. Speed is key or the ceiling full of spikes will crush Kratos.
Once clear of the room with the spiked ceiling, recall the Leviathan axe and let the ceiling drop. Kratos can now climb on top of that ceiling, and there is a Nornir chest up there. When facing this chest Kratos can look to his left and see a seal. Throw the Leviathan axe at the wooden panel to get a clear shot, then recall the axe and destroy the seal. The second seal is behind Kratos and on his right when looking at the chest, and the third is in the other room through the broken wall (there is also a chest with Hacksilver back there). Smash all three, then open the Nornir chest to get the first Horn of Blood Mead in the game.
Continue to the Mountain
Press forward to trigger a short cinematic, then keep moving. There will be large gate in Kratos’ way. When looking at the gate, head left and climb up, then turn the crank to activate the riddle.
The door will have three moving panels. Each one is broken. The goal is to throw the Leviathan axe through a broken section of panel, locking it in place. The other two panels will continue to rotate. When the text on the door lines up, recall the axe and it will solve two thirds of the riddle. From here it’s just a matter of lining the final panel up with the two that are already set. Once the riddle is solved, the door will open, allowing Kratos and Atreus to pass through.
Hunt with Atreus
Go through the door and into the cave, choosing the right path over the left. A short distance forward a cinematic will play. When it’s over move only a few feet and then get ready to fight.
Defeat Brenna Daudi
The Brenna Daudi boss fight is not unlike the fight in the first chapter, The Marked Trees. Expect to see four attacks in the fight, including a stomp, a fire throw, a battering ram attack, and a smash attack. None are fast and none hard to avoid, so this becomes a fight about patience. In fact, Brenna Daudi is easy to cheese using the Leviathan axe throw and maintaining distance, but what fun is that? Evade and strike, and don’t forget to use Spartan Rage to deal a huge chunk of damage in a short amount of time.
When the fight is over, search the ground where Brenna Daudi fell, grabbing the Heavy Runic Attack, about 2,900 Hacksilver, and two pieces of Soft Svartalfheim Steel.
Hunt with Atreus
In the area where the fight with Brenna Daudi took place, there is a Nornir chest to be dealt with. When looking at the chest, one rune is above and behind the chest, one is to the left of the waterfall, and one is way behind Kratos on the other side of the area. Each of the three seals must be broken with the Leviathan axe, but each will also reset after a short amount of time. Quickly smash all three of the seals before any can reset, opening the Nornir chest and revealing an Idunn Apple, the third Kratos has found for those following our walkthrough. This will grant him an increase to his maximum health.
In the same area is a chain that can be lowered, but first Kratos must smash the wooden barrier near it. He can then hoist Atreus up to drop the chain. Climb up to get a nice piece of lore, then hop back down and continue.
The way forward is through a cave. As Kratos and Atreus exit, they will hop down and see the animal they are hunting. Assist Atreus with aiming the bow, allowing him to fire when the reticle is red. Follow the bore when it runs off, ending up in a burned-out village. As Kratos hops down to the ground, look behind him to find a chest with Hacksilver under the platform. Loot the buildings in the village and move onward with Atreus.
Find Atreus
Lift the stone pillar from the path. When Atreus runs off, follow as much as possible. There is no timer even though it feels rushed. Call to Atreus as instructed, then heading in the direction of the voice when it calls back. Eventually Kratos will squeeze through a narrow passage and trigger a cinematic. When it ends, carry the bore as instructed before watching another cut scene.
Collect The White-Petaled Flower
When back in control of Kratos, leave the building and turn left. The white-petaled flower is around the side of the house, near a tiny waterfall. Grab some. Two minor objectives that need no explanation will then play out; return to Atreus and Return to the Witch. Completing both will bring about another cut scene before Kratos and Atreus get back on the path.
Get to the Boat
There’s quite a bit to see and do in the tunnel underneath the Witch’s house, but most if it can’t be dealt with right now. I spent an hour trying to get into the Nornir chest, only to hear Atreus tell me that he didn’t think we had the tool for that. Pretty obvious hint looking back, but I missed it for quite some time.
Not far from the Nornir chest on the bottom level, however, is a casket. First have Kratos move the large cart out of the way, then look behind the wall it was covering. The casket will contain one Soft Svartalfheim Steel. Feel free to push the large cart into the water, but there’s not much more to be done after that.
Head back to the top level of the cave and hop two gaps. There is a chest in plain site that holds a Talisman of Concentrated Vitality. The game will run through a short tutorial that explains how this works, so no sense in doing it here as well. Head to the boat when the tutorial is over.
Boat Towards Daylight
There’s not much to do here besides row. Kratos can’t get out of the boat, and I didn’t spot anything of note along the way. Just continue to move forward along the path until emerging at the Lake of Nine. There won’t be much to do here… yet.
Investigate the Glowing Statue
Now that there’s a compass at the top of the HUD (assuming it’s enabled), center the objective and head for it. This will trigger a cinematic, and when it changes there will be a lot more to do at the Lake of Nine. In fact, this will act as hub for the remainder of God of War, and there are hours to be spent exploring along its edges. However, this is a campaign walkthrough, so we’ll be heading right for the next story objective.
Dock at the Bridge
The dock is very close to Kratos and Atreus when the cinematic ends. Paddle over and get out. Another rather insignificant objective will want Kratos to Investigate the Temple and Bridge. Just head up the steps and Talk to Brok at his new shop. There will be a chance to buy and upgrade gear and learn about Mystic Gateway Points.
Make Your Way to the Tower
Exit Brok’s Shop and head out onto the platform. Just move straight forward, taking out the enemies that spawn in as Kratos and Atreus progress. There is room for exploration off the left and right sides, but the story objective is through the tower. Open the large doors and head inside.
Pass Through the Tower and Caves
Inside the doors are several enemies. They are nothing to worry about at this point in the game, so take them out by any means preferred. When the room is clear, explore the room on the left to find a Jotnar shrine. The path forward is blocked by debris, so this leaves only the path to the right. It, however, is blocked by a poison gas. Throw Kratos’ Leviathan axe at the post near the poison. This will clear the way for him and Atreus to pass. Recall the axe once reaching safety, then repeat this process to move through the pool of poison.
When Kratos and Atreus find ledge they can drop off, throw the Leviathan axe at the nearby post to clear the poison from the ground. Climb up the wooden wall next to it, then jump to safety. Up the steps and through the next door is another cinematic and the introduction of Sindri, Brok’s brother. Explore his shop and read through the tutorial on Resurrection Stones.
Continue Towards the Mountain
With his back to Sindri’s Shop, have Kratos head up the hill and to the right. There will be a Nornir chest to open, and this one is a bit tricky. Take note of the seals on the chest. Not only what each seal looks like, but also the orientation. There are three posts nearby, each with panels on it. Throw the Leviathan axe at the panels to match the seal, and the orientation of the seal, to what’s on the chest. When one is right, that seal will go dark on the front of the chest. When all three are correct, the chest can be opened, and a Horn of Blood Mead can be retrieved.
When Kratos has his back to Sindri’s Shop there is also a path on the left side of the hill. This leads to a few chests. The first is near the lift, and the post that Kratos must throw his axe at to clear the poison is only visible from Sindri’s location. Poison blocks access to the chest further up the left path, and there isn’t an obvious workaround at this point in the story. I ignored this for now and headed up the middle path towards my main objective, looted a chest for the Hacksilver, then climbed up the wall.
At the top of the cliff will be some poison. Throw the Leviathan axe into the nearby post and pass through. There will then be more poison to the left and right. Head left, clearing the poison with Kratos’ axe as always. Loot the casket in this area to nab Arcane Bracers, common wrist armor. Backtrack and take the only remaining path (clearing the poison). Take out the Revenant with Atreus, then note there are paths to the left and right again.
The path on the right leads up to a Hidden Chamber, which cannot be opened at this point, and the path on the left (through the tunnel) leads towards Kratos’ objective. Pass through and climb the wall, taking out the enemies at the top. There will be some jars at the top that can be destroyed to help this along, and one even clears a path to a chest that contains Arcane Shoulder Wraps. Head for the door when ready.
Kill the Ogre
Once it feels like everything is good, an ogre will appear and cause some trouble. It will be flanked by all the enemies you just dispatched, but this fight isn’t too bad with proper technique.
First, know that the ogre attacks with swinging punches, by throwing smaller enemies at Kratos, and by charging and performing a ground smash. All of them hurt, but all can be avoided with timely blocks and evasions. When the ogre misses, strike with Light Attacks and Strong Attacks, and don’t be afraid to unleash Spartan Rage if its charged up and ready to go. When the ogre is adequately hurt, mount it as instructed and unleash attacks with R1 and R2 until its dead. Do not forget to pick up the Symbol of Truth (a rare enchantment), over 3,000 Hacksilver, five Soft Svartalfheim Steel, and a Frozen Flame that can be used to upgrade the Leviathan axe.
Head through the doors when ready, and feel free to poke around, although there isn’t much to see. As Kratos moves forward with Atreus, this chapter will close, then it’s on to A Realm Beyond, the next story mission. To browse through all story missions and collectible locations, visit our God of War walkthrough and guide.
