If you’ve spent even a few hours wandering Enshrouded’s post-apocalyptic open world, you’ve definitely spotted chests, ancient spires, or hidden resources perched on ledges you can’t seem to reach. I still remember the first time I spotted a legendary chest on top of a 60-meter cliff outside the first Cinder Vault, I spent 12 tries falling off before I figured out what I was doing wrong. A lot of new players assume some of these spots are locked behind late-game upgrades, but that’s rarely the case. Learning how to climb Enshrouded’s cliffs, towers, and rocky outcrops is one of the most useful skills you can pick up early, and it doesn’t require a ton of rare gear to master. I’ve spent over 80 hours testing every movement trick in the game, and I’ve broken down everything you need to know to reach even the highest, most out-of-the-way spots without dying to fall damage or the Shroud.
Prep the Right Gear Before You Start Climbing
You can technically climb most low-level surfaces with no special gear, but a few cheap, easy-to-get items will cut your effort in half and eliminate 90% of common climbing deaths. You don’t need to grind for rare endgame loot to get these, either – all of them are accessible within the first 10 hours of play.
- Climbing Gloves (unlocked at the Blacksmith at level 5, reduces climbing stamina cost by 30%)
- 2+ Minor Stamina Potions per long climb attempt, can be crafted with 2 berries and 1 glass vial
- Feather Fall Trinket (found in low-level Shroud chests near the starting biome, negates fall damage from up to 30 meters)
- Any light armor set to preserve stamina regen speed, heavy armor cuts regen by 20% for no real benefit when climbing
Master Core Movement Mechanics to Climb Enshrouded Surfaces Smoothly
Climbing in Enshrouded isn’t just holding W and hoping for the best – there are small, under-explained mechanics that make the process far easier once you learn them. Tap jump instead of holding it when you’re moving up shallow ledges, for example, because holding jump uses twice as much stamina for the same amount of height gain. That one trick alone let me cut my stamina use by almost 40% on most climbs. You can also rest mid-climb if you find a flat ledge even 1 foot wide, just stop moving completely and your stamina will start regenning after 2 seconds. A lot of players don’t know that, they think they have to rush the whole climb without pausing. Wall jumps are allowed too, if you’re between two parallel surfaces less than 3 meters apart, you can jump back and forth to gain height without using as much stamina as regular climbing. I use this trick all the time for narrow tower climbs, it cuts the total effort almost in half. Note that wet surfaces (after rain, or near waterfalls) are slipperier: your climbing speed drops by 15% and stamina cost goes up 10%, so avoid climbing those if you can wait 2 minutes for the rain to pass. Once you get the hang of these small tricks, you’ll be able to climb Enshrouded’s tallest peaks without breaking a sweat.
Plan Your Route to Avoid Shroud and Dead Ends
Before you start climbing, take 30 seconds to scope out the route from the ground. It’s so much easier to spot rest stops and potential dead ends from below than it is to backtrack halfway up a cliff. Mark rest stops on your map before you start, so you don’t get disoriented halfway up and lose track of where you can pause to regen stamina. If you see vines growing on a rock face, that’s a deliberate hint from the devs that that route is climbable. I once spent 20 minutes trying to climb a bare rock face on the north side of the Revelwood, only to find a vine-covered easy route on the south side that took 2 minutes to get up. A little pre-planning is the easiest way to make sure you don’t waste half an hour trying to climb Enshrouded surfaces that have no accessible route. Also, watch for loose rocks: if you step on a loose rock, you’ll slip and fall 2-3 meters, which can waste a ton of stamina or even knock you off the cliff entirely. You can spot loose rocks by their lighter gray color, they stand out from the rest of the cliff face pretty obviously once you know what to look for. If you’re climbing a partially destroyed structure, avoid wooden ledges that look rotted, they’ll break under your weight after 2 seconds, so only use them for quick jumps, not resting.
Fix Common Climbing Mistakes That Waste Time and Get You Killed
The most common mistake I see new players make is trying to climb straight up as fast as possible. That’s almost always a bad idea, because you’ll run out of stamina before you reach a rest spot. It’s better to take a longer, zig-zag route with more rest stops than to rush a steep vertical route, even if it takes an extra minute or two. Don’t ignore stamina warnings – when your stamina bar turns red, stop climbing immediately and find a spot to rest, don’t try to push through. If you run out of stamina mid-climb, you’ll start to fall, and you can’t use your glider until you’re 2 meters away from the wall, so you might not have time to deploy it before you hit the ground. Another common mistake is forgetting to check your Shroud timer before you start a climb that goes through Shrouded areas. Even if you’re climbing above the Shroud layer, if the base of the cliff is in the Shroud, your timer will keep counting down until you get completely above the fog line. I’ve had multiple friends die mid-climb because they didn’t check their timer before starting, and ran out of time 10 feet from the top. If you do fall, don’t panic and deploy your glider right away. Wait until you’re clear of the cliff face, otherwise you’ll hit the wall and lose control of the glider anyway, and you’ll take more damage than if you’d just waited a second to get some space.
Climbing doesn’t have to be one of the most frustrating parts of Enshrouded, as long as you come prepared with the right gear, take your time planning your route, and learn the small movement tricks that make the process smoother. You don’t need late-game upgrades to reach 90% of the hidden spots in the game, just a little patience and practice. Next time you spot a chest on a high ledge you can’t reach, don’t write it off as unreachable – use the tips we covered to learn how to climb Enshrouded's tricky surfaces, and you’ll be swimming in rare loot before you know it. I’ve found some of my best legendary weapons and base building resources in spots most players skip because they don’t want to bother with climbing, so it’s well worth the effort to learn.