North Face

The half-size outlier buttress on the left side of Drake is a superb quarter-day climb. From the névé, climb the central weakness on deceptively good rock midway between the black rock band on the right and the left-hand margin of the buttress.
A small roof three quarters of the way up (crux) is probably avoidable.
Four pitches equipped with double bolt belays. Abseil off.

This is the largest and most distinctive buttress on Mt Drake: a classic and sustained route. The toe of the buttress fell away in 1998 and so access onto the buttress is now more intricate. Begin 35m left of the toe of the buttress and climb two grade 14 pitches to a ledge, then traverse right along the ledge to get back on the buttress. There are then three superb and sustained grade 16 pitches on the crest of the buttress (head right around the roof) to just below the Crows Nest Ledge, where the route relents somewhat over blocky ground for a further three pitches. First climbed in impeccable style, ground up, from Plateau Hut.

A wild ride up the thin buttress immediately right of Shogun. Six pitches of grade 15–19 climbing, with runouts up to 25m long, lead to the Crows Nest Ledge. There are occasional bolt runners at the crux sections, and a bolt anchor 4m back from edge of the CNL. From the ledge, gain the prominent flying buttress above for three pitches: 15, 20, and 23. The second-to-last pitch provides wild exposure; the last pitch involves 25m of unprotected grade 18, above the crux.

Starts on the slabby buttress (as for Samurai) and climbs the line of least resistance up corners and cracks on the left side of the Pelican Buttress.
From the Crows Nest Ledge climb the prow, turning difficulties on the left.

Ascends the clean red rock of the central buttress all the way to the summit, never deviating more than six metres. There are occasional bolt belays and runners.
Start up a thin crack a few metres right of the crest, moving back left about 10-15m up (grade 20/22 depending on line taken). Continue up the crest, climbing left through the intimidating roof on pitch four (grade 22 and an amazing position) to reach the Crows Nest Ledge. Above the CNL, climb two pitches up the crest of the buttress (15/16) to an obvious prow, then climb this direct at grade 22, (the difficulties Golden Hind avoids). There is a final 60m pitch to the summit, mostly easy but with a grade 20 finger crack.
In 1996 Alex Palman climbed a hard direct start to the first pitch, straight up the crest with desperate initial moves up the angular buttress: Superconnected (27).

The angular corner between the Central and the Right Hand Buttress. Two forgettable pitches (16/18) lead to a superb crack climb on the third pitch (19) to the base of the roof shared with the Pelican. Break through the roof on the right via a detached plate (19) to belay on a ledge, then follow a good crack up juggy ground (16) to the CNL.

Stunning and varied climbing on excellent rock for 350m. Climbs about 10-20m left of the Astrolabe buttress. From the double bolt belay at the top of Black Dog Gully (see West Wall access), climb left into a corner and up this until traversing left along a break gains the buttress proper. Climb the centre of the Right Hand Buttress (mostly 17–20) past the CNL to the atmospheric crux, right at the top of the right pillar: a slightly overhanging headwall (23). All belays have double bolts and there are sporadic bolt runners.

A classic buttress of red rock, forming the apex of the north face and the west wall. Starting from the bolts in Black Dog Gully (see west wall access), superb climbing (15-16) leads to the Crows Nest Ledge. Above, a sustained seventh pitch on poor or awkward gear provides a magnificent crux (17). Two further pitches lead along the crest of the west wall to the summit. 350m. If you get off route either side, the climbing’s still great, but be prepared for some grade 18-19 pitches. A third pitch variant involves climbing the arête directly rather than moving left, grade 18.