Cairn Free Roam arrives on October 29, 2026, allowing players to revisit Mount Kami and explore its paths as Aava or Marco. The mode is part of a free update and lets climbers return to mountain bivouacs instead of replaying the whole story.
The Game Bakers announced Free Roam alongside the Deep Water DLC, but the two offer different experiences. Free Roam revisits Kami, while Deep Water adds the Haken and Ruka cliffs and Lamu climbing gym. Here’s how the mode works and where to start.
When Does Cairn Free Roam Arrive?
The Game Bakers confirmed this free update for 29 October 2026, alongside On the Trail: Deep Water. It adds a way to revisit Mount Kami outside the usual story climb. Both Aava and Marco are available, so the update also changes how returning players can approach familiar sections of rock.
The mode isn’t a paid DLC pack. Deep Water adds three new climbing locations while Free Roam opens up the original mountain. If you have Cairn installed, the first step is to let your platform download the latest game update.
How to Access Cairn Free Roam
Once your game is updated, look for the new Free Roam mode among the available game options. The developer has said players will be able to return to bivouacs along the mountain, making those rest points the natural starting locations for replaying individual sections.
Start by installing Cairn’s October 29 update. Free Roam is included in that update, not something you purchase separately. Choose the Free Roam option in the updated game and use the available bivouacs to revisit the sections you want to practise.
How to Revisit Bivouacs in Cairn Free Roam
Bivouacs are Cairn’s camps where Aava can rest, repair and prepare equipment. The new mode lets you revisit the camps you passed on Mount Kami and head out to tackle nearby walls in a different order or with a different approach.
That gives each camp a new purpose: rather than only saving progress during an expedition, it becomes a useful point for practising a tough face. Look at the wall with Remote View and decide which section you want to test before you leave safe ground.
How to Use Marco on Mount Kami
Cairn Free Roam supports Marco as well as Aava. Marco is shorter and less flexible but benefits from strong arms, greater reach and a newer Climbot. He isn’t merely a new costume; the developer has highlighted that familiar routes may feel different in his hands.
Try repeating a climb you remember with both characters. You may need a new starting hold or different foot placement rather than forcing the exact Aava sequence. This can make a previously easy wall interesting again.
Free Roam Versus Deep Water
The Cairn Free Roam update and Deep Water DLC are two different features. Free Roam lets you revisit Kami. Deep Water takes you to Haken and Ruka’s sea cliffs and to Lamu’s climbing gym, with a limited-energy challenge system.
If you’re looking for the new water-solo routes, don’t search for them halfway up Kami. They belong to the add-on. If you’re hoping to explore a missed side path or try an old wall with Marco, Free Roam is the one you need.
Best Things to Practise
Use Cairn Free Roam for controlled experiments: climb a familiar line without rushing, try placing pitons differently, or find a smoother set of holds to reduce awkward reaches. The original game allows many paths up the same face.
Start near a bivouac so you can tackle a manageable section instead of committing to an entire ascent. Compare the terrain from below and look for ledges where you can pause. Your goal is to learn what makes one route safer or easier than another.
Does It Replace Story Mode?
Cairn Free Roam is for revisiting the mountain, not a replacement for Aava’s original expedition or its narrative decisions. The main campaign remains the story-led climb toward the summit.
Return to a wall you remember from Aava’s ascent and try it with Marco. His stronger arms, longer reach and lower flexibility change which holds feel comfortable, making old routes worth climbing again.
Official game: The Game Bakers, Cairn.
