Exploring Ash Canyon- thoughts&pics

[Yoyo]

Just started a pilgrim run on the new map. Traversed lots of terrain, got myself lost a couple of times, but reached the gold mine in the end. Personally, I think AC is a tougher map than HRV. It has lots more climbs (huge ones as well!), confusing terrain (although HRV's is also quite confusing), and is a bigger map in general.

Slight spoilers:

To reach the gold mine, where the tactical pack is located, you pretty much have to cross the ENTIRE MAP. Once you've looted the mine, there's nothing there for you to stay for. That being said, the difficult terrain and the ropes make AC one of those "explore, loot, and GTFO" maps on higher difficulties.

Here are some awesome screenshots. Absolutely amazing. Well done Hinterland!!

Edited December 8, 2020 by Yoyo
changing image size

[past caring]

Out of interest, exactly how much extra does the backpack allow you to carry? And can you use it in addition to the moose hide satchel, or is it either/or?

[gotmilkanot]

4 minutes ago, past caring said:

Out of interest, exactly how much extra does the backpack allow you to carry? And can you use it in addition to the moose hide satchel, or is it either/or?

The technical backpack works as a permanent carrying capacity buff of +5kg. You don't need a clothing slot to wear it and it stacks with both the moose satchel and Well Fed.

[past caring]

Excellent. On my way......😆

[Bean]

Anyone found crampons yet?  

[Serenity]

50 minutes ago, Bean said:

Anyone found crampons yet?  

Yes, they're together with the backpack in the mine. Unlike the pack they are an accessory however

Edited December 8, 2020 by Serenity

[Sherri]

1 hour ago, Serenity said:

Yes, they're together with the backpack in the mine. Unlike the pack they are an accessory however

So there's now a 'foot accessory' slot?

[ChillPlayer]

8 minutes ago, Sherri said:

So there's now a 'foot accessory' slot?

nope, they go in the ordinary accessory slot.

[ChillPlayer]

6 hours ago, Yoyo said:

To reach the gold mine, where the tactical pack is located, you pretty much have to cross the ENTIRE MAP.

it depends (I think) on which route you take. If you follow the bridges via High Medow and paying Homesteader's a visit then yes. This is what I've done on my custom (pilgrim-ish) exploration run but I've just resurrected my 560 day stalker from his hiatus in Bleak Inlet and plan on going the other way around to the mine, from Angler's Den to the western edge of the map and climb 3 ropes up to the mine. There will be some timber wolves I think but it's much shorter. Or is there any reason this shouldn't work?

Btw - mild spoiler: there are two ways into AC, via Echo Ravine or Deer Clearing. If you enter via Deer Clearing you''ll be on the High Medow plateau quite quickly.

[thekillergreece]

As mentioned before, this region is not worth it to stay. Just like hushed river valley, it's pretty much explore, loot, leave and forget its existence.

[Guest rowan]

This region is sort of a hybrid between HRV and TWM. Pretty, decent loot, but a maze. I do wish it had a holy grail base location like the Mountaineer’s Hut. That would absolutely extend its usability. 

[piddy3825]

Although I have thoroughly enjoyed checking out the map so far and having found and equipping both the new backpack and the crampons, I am feeling a little underwhelmed by the new region to be honest.   Maybe it was because my first couple of days in the region where all nice weather days and the comparative absence of predatory wildlife as compared to HRV for example,  made navigating this map thus far feel fairly easy.  There'a an odd familiarity about the place that I experienced  while traversing the map, especially on a couple of the cave network transitions where it kinda felt the tunnels and such were just cut and pasted.  I was hoping to see more of the caving system like Will had to navigate while killing the bear in storymode, but the very first one I went in seemed to walk and look exactly identical to the regional transition cave between ML and Milton.  real Deja Vu moment there for me.    

What I have really enjoyed however is the fact that all the little unique experiences that are typically map specific elsewhere in the world seem to have all been incorporated into this region.  Maybe that's where that odd sense of familiarity comes from, I dunno.  
Love the fact that I can now carry a shload of gear now.  Well fed, satchel and technical backpack equals 45 kilos carrying capacity!  BooYah!  
Got me a cabin with a workbench!   plentiful natural resources abound.  oh and there was a 2 liter pot in the cabin too! 
 

 

 

[Yoyo]

Quote

17 hours ago, ChillPlayer said:

it depends (I think) on which route you take. If you follow the bridges via High Medow and paying Homesteader's a visit then yes. This is what I've done on my custom (pilgrim-ish) exploration run but I've just resurrected my 560 day stalker from his hiatus in Bleak Inlet and plan on going the other way around to the mine, from Angler's Den to the western edge of the map and climb 3 ropes up to the mine. There will be some timber wolves I think but it's much shorter. Or is there any reason this shouldn't work?

Btw - mild spoiler: there are two ways into AC, via Echo Ravine or Deer Clearing. If you enter via Deer Clearing you''ll be on the High Medow plateau quite quickly.

 

You are right! I missed the three rope climbs up to the mine. The last time I tried (with full stamina and w/out crampons) , I was stuck on the platform between the 2nd rope and the 3rd rope. I think it's probably a shorter path, but I'm not sure if it's worth risking sleeping on the open platform between the 2nd rope and the 3rd rope. Anyways plz keep us updated on your stalker run!

[theisaactrain]

17 hours ago, ChillPlayer said:

it depends (I think) on which route you take. If you follow the bridges via High Medow and paying Homesteader's a visit then yes. This is what I've done on my custom (pilgrim-ish) exploration run but I've just resurrected my 560 day stalker from his hiatus in Bleak Inlet and plan on going the other way around to the mine, from Angler's Den to the western edge of the map and climb 3 ropes up to the mine. There will be some timber wolves I think but it's much shorter. Or is there any reason this shouldn't work?

Btw - mild spoiler: there are two ways into AC, via Echo Ravine or Deer Clearing. If you enter via Deer Clearing you''ll be on the High Medow plateau quite quickly.

The High Meadow, is that where the cabin near that broken fishing hut is? There's a cabin on a small plateau there's a rope climb to get to there. There's also a rope climb up to where I believe the first rope bridge starts. There wasn't a rope to the plateau. Do you have to go through the deer clearing transition to get there?

[Serenity]

The High Meadow is up a the bridge between Angler's Den and Bitter Marsh

 

I think the shortest and most sheltered route is going to Angler's Den and then going up and behind Broad Falls to Wolf's Jaws Overlook. My first time I was able to go to the gold mine pretty directly with that. But you miss out on a lot of the rest of the map that way.

The char coal map is pretty bad by the way.  I always found them useless for navigating, but in canyon / plateau maps like this it's even more useless. Tons of things that seem connected really aren't. 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Serenity

[ChillPlayer]

2 hours ago, theisaactrain said:

The High Meadow, is that where the cabin near that broken fishing hut is? There's a cabin on a small plateau there's a rope climb to get to there. There's also a rope climb up to where I believe the first rope bridge starts. There wasn't a rope to the plateau. Do you have to go through the deer clearing transition to get there?

The High Meadom is a high plateu pretty much in the center of the map. It's your starting point if you want to reach the gold mine via bridges and also the cabine - Homesteader's Respite" - above the broken fishing hut, with the rope climb where you can mount a rope.

You can reach it from anywhere on the map as Serenity has described. Once you reach Pillar's Footrest, either via Angler's Den or by entering from Deer Clearing, it's pretty easy to find, just keep right until there will be a bridge or a rope, can't remember it anymore.  Continue north and you'll reach a frozen lake. On the southwest shore is Climber's Cave, north west shore is a rope climb but without a rope. Go further north and soon you'll find on the right side a rope, climb it, another one, and then you'll be on the Meadow. From there on it's pretty straight forward to the mine - beware of bears though

@Serenity: completely agree, I just tried to retrace my steps from Pillar's but I cannot tell from the char coal map if I climbed a rope first or went over the bridge. All I remember is that I went right and then it was pretty straight forward. It's best use is probably to confirm which bridge is which for some basic orientation.

Edited December 9, 2020 by ChillPlayer

[Serenity]

10 minutes ago, ChillPlayer said:

just keep right until there will be a bridge or a rope, can't remember it anymore.

There is a rope and then a bridge. But then there is a rope missing that goes down to the lake. It's goatable with some injuries though.

I think there is a tree bridge (not a proper one) going from Pillar's Footrest to the lake though. Maybe that's what you meant. I only saw it when I was already on the plateau and didn't explore any further. The direction fits though. That would be the better route.

Edited December 9, 2020 by Serenity

[ChillPlayer]

8 minutes ago, Serenity said:

There is a rope and then a bridge. But then there is a rope missing that goes down to the lake.

Do you mean the climb point on the mountain where Climber's Cave is inside? Yes this point is reachable via another climb west and there is a rope, which I took and mounted on the point which leads down to the lake. Actually I think this was the first route I took to get to the High Medow from Angler's Den.

[Serenity]

It seems to be like this: https://content.invisioncic.com/g266965/monthly_2020_12/222693945_AshCanyon.jpg.1f85fa345cd011ac1c18246ce09224f0.jpg

You take the rope at the red left circle (which leads down into the canyon), climb up a bit ahead and go over the bridge and the attach the rope

Or you take the green route via the tree. I hope it's the right one - maybe it was the one two to the top/left. This is where the map fails. There are a lot of trees at the bottom of the canyon. But this one spans it

[Bean]

Finding the gold mine is easy.  Just hike up beside Broad Falls upstream of the Angler’s Den.  Walk behind the falls and get to a triple climb (no ropes) that takes you to a cave system which leads to a mountain path.  Arrows along that path point you towards the gold mine.  When you reach the miner’s folly wheel thingy, there’s a rope laying there you can strap to the rock.  Do that and climb down.  You can also goat down but I would attach the rope first so you can get back up.  Going back up is much easier with crampons!  Man those things are useful.  Totally worth swapping out a wool earmuff for!  But you need to be wearing footgear.  Naked feet won’t accept crampons.  

[mayimbe]

On 8/12/2020 at 23:09, thekillergreece said:

Como se mencionó anteriormente, esta región no vale la pena quedarse. Al igual que el valle del río silencioso, es prácticamente explorar, saquear, salir y olvidar su existencia.

I do not agree with you these types of regions I love to stay Surviving here is an extra challenge and once you loot the regions the best thing is to survive in them. Of course everyone has their opinion but these maps with hardly any shelters are an extra challenge.

[Bean]

Hushed River Valley is one of the easiest regions in which to survive.  The central cave is roomy and safe, offering plenty of space to cure hides, and freezer space outside for your meat.  Lots of game wandering by to kill, and only a few wolves every week or so.  There’s a fat old bear that will feed you for weeks.  Build a cairn in the cave to store your extra gear.  
And you’ll never ever have to worry about Cabin Fever!  
Honestly, the only reason to ever leave is boredom.  
 

so far Ash Valley seems very easy as well.  Low wolf population.  A bear and moose spawns.  Also low deer so food will eventually be a bit of an issue.  Fishing should take care of it though.  And there’s crafting tables and houses to live in.  Caves when you want to slum it.  
The only challenge is figuring out the truly twisted terrain!

[Gracia_WolfSlayer]

@mayimbe same! I love forcing my survivor to stay in these more barren areas. It's a nice challenge!

[mayimbe]

2 hours ago, Bean said:

Hushed River Valley es una de las regiones más fáciles de sobrevivir. La cueva central es espaciosa y segura, y ofrece mucho espacio para curar las pieles y un congelador en el exterior para la carne. Un montón de juegos vagando por matar, y solo unos pocos lobos cada semana más o menos. Hay un oso gordo que te alimentará durante semanas. Construye un mojón en la cueva para guardar tu equipo extra.  
¡Y nunca tendrás que preocuparte por Cabin Fever!  
Honestamente, la única razón para irse es el aburrimiento.  
 

Hasta ahora Ash Valley también parece muy fácil. Poca población de lobos. Aparecen un oso y un alce. También ciervos bajos, por lo que la comida eventualmente será un problema. Sin embargo, la pesca debería encargarse de ello. Y hay mesas de artesanía y casas para vivir. Cuevas cuando quieras vivir en tugurios.  
¡El único desafío es descubrir el terreno verdaderamente tortuoso!

Well for you it will be easy for me it is complicated and I like to spend at least 30 days in each region if I only go in, pick up the items and go out, it is like not appreciating the hard work they have done to make that region. it's just my way of thinking everyone plays as he wants.

[TheFromzzz]

I absolute LOVE the new map. Really had so many WOW moments already and I have not seen 30% of it I think. Really did not expect anything that amazing O.O I am just a beginner at TLD but I adore every pixel!

My thoughts: Possible spoiler alert!

I did find a half eaten wolf in the cave with the robe. And multiple hints (blue and red flares) that Timberwolves are/been there. What else eats a wolf? Tho I did not heard anyone running into, other then normal, wolfs so i wonder what you all think about this? Will they silently introduce the Timbers at a later moment? (Sneaky Hinterland) Will they appear only in the caves/mines, or co-exist with the blacks (Fighting/ignoring each other)? Or will there be kind of periods where there is one or the other kind around? Or it's just a big joke to scare the s*** out of me/us? Haha.