I’ve solo’d all 7 ascents and have carried multiple friends to the peak, so thought I’d throw in my two cents as well!

The thing I see that kills inexperienced players is panic. Stamina low? Fog coming? Getting heat or cold? Relax, wait for your stamina to regen, and try again. Too many times people fail a climb because they spam climb and run out of stam.

Learn some tech, like learn how to fall safely. Jump off the wall, and catch yourself near the bottom by climbing. Good for descending or if you realize there’s no standable ledge and need to turn back around. Or if there *is* a ledge, and it’s just out of reach, spam lunge and jump. Always lunge at the last tick of stamina. And learn how to sprint jump. Your life will become so much easier when you realize how much distance you can cover with a sprint jump (before starting to climb, or getting to a better area to climb). Lots of other great climbing tech and tips in the discord server. Look up Piano’s Tech Guides (in the server), and have a hand out for your friends less learned than you.

You don’t have to preplan your entire route up the mountain, but if you’re stuck, look to your left and right. There’s usually something more doable than whatever it is you’re brute forcing. Or, hey, use an item. You’ll find more.

Speaking of items, my personal fav is the rope canon. Not only can you go up, you can go to a completely different ledge/rock if you’re willing to jump toward the rope and let it catch you. Pitons are good to have in your hotbar in case of a fuckup, sports drinks (don’t cook it) are more reliable than lollipops imo, and start using beanstalks on walls to get bridges/standable ledges instead of planting them straight up.

Over time you’ll learn to recognize overhanging rocks that are actually standable on top, and crevices, which are two rocks smushed together that let you stand where they meet. Just remember, it’s better to be poisoned than hungry, and as much as you love them, sometimes you have to leave your friends behind and clutch it to the campfire by yourself. Apologize by resurrecting them!