From the Sentinel Car Park walk toward the chain ladders for c45min. As soon as you round the North Spur you will look up at the gully between the Gendarme (left Skyline) and Sentinel. Leave the path at an appropriate point to ascend the grass slope and then the gully.

Continue to the base of a rock step (looks like a large chockstone is obstructing your progress).

Either

• Descend MCM via rappel
• Descend the Standard route

Note: The traditional routes in The Drakensberg are still graded using the "old" system. As with routes in The Alps this is regarded as conveying more information precisely because it is more vague than modern technical rock grades. The grade chart on the Grade Tab gives an indication of the technical equivalence.

From the base of the rock step

1. 8m (F1): Climb rightward up an awkward take-off onto a ramp and then finish left, above the chimney (loose) to belay up In the gully above.
   Note: There are abseil anchors above and to the left.
   
   From the top of the chimney, scramble up for 80 metres in the gully, negotating one more minor rock step until the saddle between the Gendarme and the North Face is reached.
   ‍
2. 30m (D): From the saddle, scramble up grass to the wall above, then move left to a short wide crack. Climb this and scramble to a wide ledge and belay at the far end.
3. 20m (E2): 'The Grotto pitch' - Climb the short, steep wall above on good holds to a small cave. Traverse left for 2 metres, around a corner, then up a grassy gully to a stance on a ledge with 2 bolts
4. 20m (E3): Traverse left on the ledge to an arête. Move around and slightly down, then nse back up to the ledge to an exposed corner and piton. Keep traversing to a step-over, then ascend a blocky ramp to a small stance with 2 bolts high in a recess.
5. 20m (F1): Traverse right. across the easy but unprotected slab for 5m, make an awkward step down, (protection can be found just beyond the slab in a large crack at foot level), then continue traversing right to the skyline. Climb the arête, past a piton to a large pedestal of rock. Climb onto this and then up to the ledge above. Move left Into a recess with a huge crack behind and a piton in the floor (a large cam gives good protection in the crack).
6. 45m (D): Traverse right, along a big ledge into the next recess, then further to the arete. Move around the arête and move slightly up and right. Climb the easy recess to the ledge above.
   From the ledge, scramble up the easy gully above to a stance on blocks.
7. 10m (F3): Above the stance you will see a short vertical wall. Move slightly left into a cubbyhole (protection deep in the cavern), then move out to the right, past a flake and up to a ledge. Scramble up to the next rock band.

Above pitch 7, there is another pitch in an awkward chimney (E), but this seldom, if ever climbed these days. Most parties walk off to the right after pitch 7, and then scramble to the summit.