Cairn Mount Kami is the mountain at the heart of Aava’s expedition. You can choose where to climb, take side routes and rest at bivouacs rather than follow one fixed set of handholds from the base to the summit.
The areas have distinctive names that help with planning and finding optional discoveries. This guide explains the main landmarks from the early approach to the upper mountain, plus how the new Free Roam mode changes revisiting Kami.
Start on Tenzen Before Mount Kami
Tenzen is the training mountain, not the main Mount Kami ascent. Practise hand and foot placement, pitons and rappelling before leaving. Its advanced gym problems are also linked to the Serious training achievement.
Use the last training camp to make sure you understand gear, Remote View and safe resting points. The expedition ahead makes stamina, food and water more important because there is more distance between reliable camps.
Cairn Mount Kami: Arch, Split Rock and Shortcut
The Arch, The Split Rock and The Shortcut are early regions. They introduce branching paths and tougher rock that may not accept your ordinary pitons.
The Shortcut includes a cable-car station and optional exploration. If a difficult face appears impossible with your current gear, look around for a different approach rather than treating it as the mandatory line.
Cairn Mount Kami: Waterfall, Village and Standing Stones
The Waterfall, The Village and The Standing Stones provide recognisable landmarks and different climbing conditions. The Village is worth exploring for character encounters and optional items.
One player’s route across Cairn Mount Kami may not match another’s exact handhold sequence. Use the area names to orient yourself, but remember that the game encourages choosing your own route across the rock.
Cairn Mount Kami: Two Hundred Steps and Palace of Wind
The Two Hundred Steps and The Palace of Wind are memorable landmarks further up. The Palace of Wind is also connected with optional objectives, including giving crystal shards to a crystal-cutter.
Before a demanding stretch, use Remote View to spot a ledge or a resting area. A longer route with secure footholds can be easier than a direct climb that forces several unstable movements.
Cairn Mount Kami: Dome, Needle and Secret
The Dome, The Needle and The Secret are upper mountain areas. The Needle is associated with the Pearly Edelweiss collectible, while other optional paths can lead towards more discoveries.
By this stage, the rock can demand more deliberate climbing. Plan piton placements before a long drop, and don’t commit to an overhang without considering where your next stable position will be.
Peril, Sea of Seracs and the Summit
The Peril and The Sea of Seracs are among the later areas, with The Summit as Aava’s ultimate goal. These labels describe mountain regions, not one compulsory sequence of grips.
Food, water, warmth and safe anchors matter throughout. At bivouacs, rest, cook and repair equipment before pressing on. Two piton scraps can be combined into a new usable piton by the Climbot.
How to Return to Mount Kami in Free Roam
The free October 29 update allows you to revisit Cairn Mount Kami as Aava or Marco, returning to bivouacs and exploring paths missed in the story. Marco has longer reach and stronger arms but less flexibility, changing how some familiar routes feel.
The separate Deep Water DLC adds Haken, Ruka and Lamu. Those are new climbing areas outside Mount Kami, so use Free Roam for the original mountain and the DLC for sea cliffs and gym challenges.
Cairn Mount Kami: Best Route-Planning Advice
Break each ascent into manageable parts: a safe starting position, the hard move and the next rest point. Check your equipment before leaving the bivouac and don’t spend all your chalk and pitons before the crux.
The game is designed for more than one route. If a direct line keeps exhausting you, retreat to stable ground and compare nearby holds. Reaching the same landmark through a safer line is still a successful climb.
Official source: The Game Bakers, Cairn game overview.
