[mago]

I've read (and confirmed) about the mountain pass in the Elven Lands where you can cross over to the Vale of Ruins (or even the Harrow Ruins, Sagathian Moors, or Forbidden Lands). Has anyone found any other spots where you can climb up on the mountains?

There's an area just northwest of Arindale as you enter the Fire Drake area that may be accessible too but I was not quite able to make it all the way up.

By using the known mountain pass, I was able to reach Deathlord before taking on the Trial of Elders! Of course, it made the game that much easier (but still fun!). Even the Banshee in the Trial of Elders was not much of a challenge by that point.

Just for kicks, I even managed to jump over (and back) the Skuldoon walls though that was tough to do.

[lparnell]

Yes, there are quite a few mountain passes. I have been trying to keep track of them. I have been able to get to the top of almost every mountain range. Some of the places of which I know about:

> Beginning area - You can climb out of the beginning area without going through the sewers. It is on the 'east' wall kind of near the sewer entrance.

> Elf Lands area - This is the one you mentioned, near the camp fire.

> Arindale - North of Emmidor's Tower there is a place to climb those mountains. This mountain range is isolated from the main range(s).

> South of Devil's Marsh - There is that wall of mountains that almost runs true North-South, you can climb in this area.

> Demigoth Lands - There is a place that is almost directly above the Black Swamp that allows access to the mountains.

> Forbidden Lands - There is a place that is very easy to climb (no backflips or jumping required). It is hard to describe, but on the other side (the side you cannot climb) is the Black Swamp. It is in that passage area between the two mountain ranges. You climb almost due east and if you continue going east you get to the black swamp.

> Forbiddent Lands - There is that 'island' mountain range in the forbidden lands. It is a tiny mountain range, but you can climb to the top. It kind of looks like the U.S. tilted about 45 degrees (use your imagination a lot). Well that tip that would be Texas is where you can climb.

> Vale of Ruin - You can leave the Vale of Ruin without the moongate. Go to the third cul-de-sac from the top on the east side, head almost due east (or the eastern most part of the cul-de-sac) and you can climb out.

> Forbidden Lands - There is that other 'island' mountain range in the forbidden lands. This is the one that has the Sagathian Moors on the north of it. I forget exactly where the pass is, I will have to check my notes at home tonight.

> Lake Dread - There is a mountain pass just north of the east bridge over Lake Dread that you can climb that isolated mountian range. This is the range that can take you all the way to the West side of the Sea of Woe.

- I also thought that there seems to be a place to climb the mountains in the Fire Drake area, but I have never found one.

- I was very disappointed that there was NOTHING up there like hidden chests etc.

- I have been able to 'color' in every bit on the world map with all of these mountain passes.

- Yes, you can jump over the wall of Skuldoon. I do it sometimes, when I don't fell like looking/waiting for the guards to open up the gate.

- In my next game, I want to go to the Black Swamp and get the ring of protection first (or early in the game), and see how easy the rest of the game is. That ring of protection is amazing, and if you had it earlier, you would be nearly invincible.

[mago]

Wow! You da man! Thanks for that! I may have to play the game again (would be my 5th run through) just to experiment with those.

[BlueOval]

I've been looking thru the posts for one relative to getting to Skulldoon from Fargrove for the Guild of Mystery quest. lparnell, would you tell us where those passes lead to?

[swcarter]

I'm not sure I understand what the problem is. To get from Fargrove to Skulldoon, all you have to do is follow the road out of Fargrove's south gate. You don't need a special mountain pass or anything.

SWC

[BlueOval]

Ok, thanks for clearing that up for me. The walkthrough maps are all sectioned off for each quest, etc. I just couldn't see Fargrove on the Skulldoon area map or vice-versa.

[lparnell]

The walkthrough does have the big overview map, which shows everything at once. Also, once you get to the 'top' of the mountains you can get to almost anywhere else on the map. So to answer your question, the mountain passes lead to everywhere - except for the few that get you up the isolated ranges.

[BlueOval]

Thanks again. I've just never made it past lvl 11 - after-moonbeasts-on-the-way-to-drakes kind of thing, so I haven't really begun exploring yet. And I just got the automap to work yesterday!

[Skidder]

Thanks to all those who have pointed out the existence of mountain passes. These were obviously designed in, and I believe, meant to be used since the tops of the ranges have trees, shrubs, etc. There's another climbing route out of the Vale of Ruin directly behind the Draedoth Temple (at least in the 1.4 build which is what I play). I found it by accident with my fourth character build elf ( rogue / fighter / samurai / valkyrie / war Witch) while field testing great-swords out of that wonderful treasure chest on the upper level of Draedoth.

Directly behind the temple a bit to the left of center, there's a ridge-line that drops down to ground level (like most climbing spots). I found it at night by accident and ran the ranges for a while. It's worth the climb and all the fighting to see that big honkin' wall up on top and to the west by moonlight. Went back again much later and thought I imagined it, but found it again. The problem is that there is one of the Vale of Ruin killer holes on each side of the beginning of the ridge at about head level. If you run straight up the ridge, you'll fall into either hole. The trick is to head directly toward the hole on the right, then jog to the left at the last moment and you'll run up the ridge line. Normal left/right zig-zagging works from there. You come out directly above the elf-lands campfire, which is also a climbing spot so this is a true pass that would let you cross from elf-lands to the temple, grab a few choice goodies, and retreat back to the elf-lands without a moon-stone. Providing you survive what will attack you on the Vale-of-Ruins side, of course.

The mountain passes change the whole flow of the game for me. I had an old save of a rogue female elf right before she entered the sewers. I had her go back and prowl around the temple ruins and two shacks of the beginning area using hit-and-run tactics, ambushing from the porches, etc. to work her way up to near 5th level. Then she climbed the pass out of the beginning area, survived the attacks on top and dropped down to the south gate of Fargrove with enough loot and experience to buy some modest armor and the light Kris Blade (3-7 damage) from the armory, and then baited the troll and helped the guards kill it to gain more experience points. Now she's ready to do the normal Fargrove quests to get the gates to open, then head west and north to the south of Devils Marsh mountain pass and drop back down into the beginning area and explore the sewers on her terms, rather than those of the goblins.

While I know it had bad press and lots of bugs in the beginning, with the 1.4 patch at least, the more I play the game and try different approaches, the better it gets.

[k1465]

1st pass

Where exactly is the 1st pass located? I have been all up and down that east side and can only make it up halfway. Do I need to have athletics at a certain level? Or is there another trick about mountain climbing I need to know about? I have made it successfully through the game at least 4 times and am just now discovering the passes. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Cionaoith]

Climbing is made easier if you can backflip (athletics 4). I have climbed the spot on the east wall, but prefer a spot on the west wall just south of start. Just look for an area that you think you could climb. If you get to a point where you just can't quite jump high enough, turn around and backflip up.

As was mentioned before, there are a lot of places where you can climb, so it's likely that there are more than just those two in the start area.

[bandit11]

first part and Forbidden lands

Here's just a couple more I didn't see mentioned, but if they were, I'm sorry. In the beginning, if you go to the wall on the right side of Fargrove (when you're standing in front of it), back a ways there's a peninsula sticking out that you can climb pretty easily.
Also, there's a spot in the Forbidden Lands down at Warglaw's camp (where you acquire the totem of the tree). This is a little hard to explain, so bear with me - when you come upon the camp directly from the front (not from the side), make your way to the left and down the hill to the wall. There's a little hill that jutts out (and I mean little, you have to look for it) at the bottom and there's trees and such up further. You can make your way up there, you will have to do some backflipping and possibly through some trees, but I've just recently made it up there. I'ts a quick way to the Vale of Ruin, especially if you haven't talked to Grymlok yet to get the Rune signs. Hope this helped!
~Anna Marie

[bandit11]

error!

Uh, yea, about my last climbing spot at Warglaw's camp, I meant go to the RIGHT when you come upon his camp and that knoll that I have you looking for, it's covered in grass...if that helps at all

[Cionaoith]

Sounds like you're trying to frame us for something. . . "Here, take this rifle, and go climb that grassy knoll." :laugh:

[bandit11]

BANG! Suckaaas! lol...:mischief: