Serutabomac Shrine (The Way Up) sits on the northeast side of the Hyrule Castle island, and it is basically an Ascend physics lab: three rooms, a pile of metal plates, and one rule. If you can build a ceiling, you can go through it.
Science time. Below you get the exact location, the safest ways in, every build for all three rooms, and how to grab the chest with the Magic Rod before you leave.
Serutabomac Shrine Location
The shrine is a Shrine of Light on the surface, built into the back of Hyrule Castle on its northeast side. It overlooks the castle moat, roughly at the level of the castle’s lower floors, so you approach it from inside the castle grounds rather than from the field below.
- Trial name: The Way Up
- Region: Central Hyrule, Hyrule Castle
- Coordinates: about -0179, 1170, 0280 (guides differ by a unit or so, which is just rounding)
- Nearest tower: Lookout Landing Skyview Tower
- Abilities used: Ultrahand and Ascend, nothing else
- Story requirement: none beyond having the paraglider from the Great Sky Island
How to Reach Serutabomac Shrine
You can get here very early. The castle looks intimidating, but the route is short if you come in from above.
- Launch from Lookout Landing. Use the Skyview Tower and glide north toward the castle. Two full stamina wheels make the flight comfortable; with less, bring a stamina dish or plan to land on the castle’s outer walls and climb.
- Drop into the castle grounds. Land near the main entrance area and head inside.
- Go up and out the far side. Inside, use Ascend through a low ceiling on the right to reach the upper floor, then exit toward the northeast.
- Climb down to the shrine. From the high ground on the northeast side, glide or climb down toward the moat. The shrine’s green glow is easy to spot from above.
The Tech: parts of the castle are covered in Gloom, the red sludge that cuts your maximum hearts until you get clear of it and heal up (Sunny dishes made with Sundelions fix it fastest). Do not stand in it, and do not linger. If your hearts are already scarred, our cooking and elixir guide covers the dishes that help.
Serutabomac Shrine Walkthrough
Here’s what actually happens under the hood: Ascend lets Link rise through any ceiling that is close enough above his head, and it does not care whether that ceiling is part of the level or a plate you hung there two seconds ago. Every room in this shrine is a test of that one idea. If you want the full rundown on the ability itself, see our Ascend guide.
Room 1: One Plate, One Ledge
- Grab the single metal plate on the left with Ultrahand.
- Lay it flat across the rods sticking out of the wall below the upper ledge, so it rests level.
- Stand directly underneath and use Ascend. You pop up through the plate and onto the next level.
Room 2: The Upright L
- This room has a long plate and a short plate. Attach them into an L shape.
- Stand the long side upright and rest the short side on the rod in front of the high ledge, so the rod holds the whole thing steady.
- Get under the short plate and Ascend to the exit.
Exploit Alert: the long plate topples the moment you let go if it is not touching the rod. Rotate it while you are still holding it, line it up against the rod, then release.
Room 3: Spikes, a Chest and the Exit
The last room has three plates (one long, two short), a spike pit, and two goals: the chest on a high ledge on the left and the exit up ahead.
- Attach the three plates into one structure (an h or broken U shape works best, with the long plate as the spine).
- Lay it across the rods over the spike pit so that one short plate sits below the chest ledge.
- Ascend through the lower level, then again through the upper level to reach the ledge, and open the chest for the Magic Rod. (Serutabomac’s Depths counterpart is the Camobatures Lightroot, the shrine’s name spelled backwards.)
- Grab the plates again and set them up as a ramp or Ascend platform toward the exit, then walk up to the monk.
If you came through Room 2 with your L still intact, you can carry it forward with Ultrahand and build a bigger ramp. I tested this so you don’t have to: it works, but it is wobblier than the h build.
| Room | Parts | Build | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 plate | Flat on the wall rods | Ascend to the upper level |
| 2 | 1 long, 1 short plate | Upright L resting on the rod | Ascend to the next room |
| 3 | 1 long, 2 short plates | h shape over the spike pit | Chest ledge (Magic Rod) |
| 3 | Same plates | Ramp or platform near the exit | Finish the trial |
Rewards
- Light of Blessing: one for finishing the trial. Four of them buy a Heart Container or Stamina Vessel at a Goddess Statue.
- Magic Rod: the chest in Room 3. A one handed rod that attacks from range, a nice change from the castle’s swords.
- Travel point: a fast travel spot right on the castle, useful for later quests and for looting the castle’s weapons.
Patched? No. Nothing here depends on a bug, and the solution is the same on version 1.4.3 and in the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
Pro Tips for a Clean Run
- Center yourself: Ascend only triggers when the ceiling is within reach right above Link. If the prompt does not appear, take a step and look up.
- Use the rods: every build in this shrine rests on rods. Let them carry the weight instead of balancing plates on the floor.
- Rotate before you release: spin pieces into position while holding them. Fixing a fallen plate costs more time than placing it right.
- Plan the spike landing: in Room 3, check where you will come out before you Ascend.
- Dropped a plate? Use Recall to pull it back along its path instead of resetting the whole trial. Our Recall guide explains the timing.
Serutabomac Shrine FAQ
Where is Serutabomac Shrine in Tears of the Kingdom?
On the northeast side of Hyrule Castle, overlooking the moat, at roughly -0179, 1170, 0280. The quickest route is gliding from the Lookout Landing Skyview Tower.
What is in the Serutabomac Shrine chest?
A Magic Rod. The chest is on a high ledge on the left side of the third room, above the spike pit.
How do you get the chest in The Way Up?
Join the three plates of the last room into an h shape, lay it on the rods over the spikes, then Ascend through both levels to reach the chest ledge.
Do you need to finish a temple first?
No. You only need the paraglider, Ultrahand and Ascend, which you get on the Great Sky Island.
Test Results: Serutabomac is short, safe and teaches the most useful trick in Tears of the Kingdom. Once you start hanging your own ceilings, castle walls and cliff faces stop being walls and start being suggestions. Grab the Magic Rod, take the travel point, and go loot the castle while you are up there.
