In Need of a Hopeless Rescue

[Stormwolf1O1]

During the first Hopeless Rescue run I've ever successfully completed, I remember being very close to reaching the summit of TWM. I was at the final climb, exhausted and encumbered, so I chugged a coffee and used an emergency stim. I got to the second ledge, so very close to the top of the climb. "I could just take a little nap, right here.." Too tired to complete it safely. I wasn't about to attempt to climb the rest of the way, then fall and die on the very last climb. How pathetic that would've been. I was too encumbered to get off the ledge and climb back down to the ground, so I dropped everything. Literally stripped completely naked. Had my bedroll still, of course. Left my stuff on the ledge and climbed down, sprained my damn wrist and ankle upon touching the ground. I mean, come on.. So I hobbled to the conveniently placed cave nearby, the one with the deer carcass in front. Unrolled my bedroll and took a nice, 4 hour nap. Woke up, grabbed my bedroll, then went and climbed back up to the ledge and collected my things. And re-dressed myself. Finally made it over the climb and got the flare gun. 2 days left to make it to DP. Got lost on the way down the front of the mountain. Wandered into a pack of wolves, but had my rifle so it was okay. Got to Coastal Highway at night, a raging blizzard was going on. I saw on a map online that there's a trailer close to where the mine lets out, so I thought I could go there and wait for the storm to blow over. Got lost. Eventually found the road. Picked a direction and used an emergency stim. If you ever thought the blizzards in this game made it hard to see where you're going, you've never been in one at night, sprinting down the highway on copious amounts of epinephrine. For the first good 20 seconds, I was completely blind, sprinting in whatever direction I was facing because I had no time to lose. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be the right direction. I got to the coastal townsite, heard some wolves howling nearby, and ducked into a building. Slept for a nice 9 hours, because I certainly had that much time to waste! Woke up, ate and drank and continued down the highway. Killed two wolves, but still made it through to the Old Connector. Upon arriving at DP I had 2 hours to get to the lighthouse. Got jumped by a wolf, but had a knife and fought him off. Finally made it to the lighthouse with such little time to spare. Was very happy to see that I had, in fact, grabbed one flare round to fire. 

[JAFO]

So it was pretty much by the skin of your teeth, all the way.. well done!

[LucidFugue]

What a ride! You make The Long Dark sound like an action movie! Great job completing the challenge! 

[Stormwolf1O1]

2 hours ago, LucidFugue said:

What a ride! You make The Long Dark sound like an action movie! Great job completing the challenge! 

You know what, it really is like being in an action movie sometimes! ...As long as your gameplay consists of more than just sitting by a fire eating a pack of beef jerky.

[Stormwolf1O1]

4 hours ago, JAFO said:

So it was pretty much by the skin of your teeth, all the way.. well done!

Thanks! It was a lot of fun. I'm considering trying it again at some point to improve my best time.

[LucidFugue]

I think I tried to travel extremely light to reduce movement burden and exhaustion. No rifle, no hatchet, raid houses along the way primarily for coffee so you can minimise sleep and get up the mountain. That and blizzards are probably the most luck-based elements. If you get enough coffee and clear weather you can make the run in under 3 days I think.

[Stormwolf1O1]

3 hours ago, LucidFugue said:

I think I tried to travel extremely light to reduce movement burden and exhaustion. No rifle, no hatchet, raid houses along the way primarily for coffee so you can minimise sleep and get up the mountain. That and blizzards are probably the most luck-based elements. If you get enough coffee and clear weather you can make the run in under 3 days I think.

I think it took me around 3 days during the challenge. I had went through on a different save on Pilgrim to learn the pathway up, so I'd be prepared. Think I did pretty well.