Rise of the Tomb Raider – Glacial Cavern, Find the Ice Ship Tomb, Archery Ancient Ability

Lara Croft enters the Glacial Cavern in this section of our Rise of the Tomb Raider walkthrough. You’ll find the Ice Ship tomb, which is the first optional location in the game. If you complete the puzzles within the tomb you will gain a special archery ability.

Glacial Cavern

When you reach the next room, jump over to the ice wall and try to latch on. Unfortunately it breaks and Lara falls down to the room below. Turn around and climb up the ice wall here to find a scroll on the ledge above.

Drop back down and continue moving through the cave. Open the item box in the far corner of the next room to obtain a Bone Arrowhead, then continue into the water ahead. Dive under the first low-hanging barrier, then before you reach the second one, head to the right and dive under a low-hanging barrier to find a box of salvage and a Paiza on the ledge above.

Head back to the main path and swim under the next barrier. When you reach the room ahead, loot the item box to the left, then look to the far right corner to find another item box. Head up the ramp on the far left and jump over the gap to head into the tunnel. Jump across the next gap and latch on to the ice wall, then climb up to the ledge above.

Climb up to the wooden bridge, but before you head all the way to the top (following the next destination point), move across the wooden plank to the left and jump over to latch onto the ice wall. Climb up the wall and access the item box to the left, then move forward to enter the optional Ice Ship challenge.

Ice Ship Tomb

To complete this optional puzzle, jump over to the mast of the ship and move onward to the next platform. Collect the scroll and mushrooms to the right and the item box to the left, then turn the gear in the middle. Scramble up the wood to the left of the gear, then move out to the edge of the second mast. When you reach the end, head left to move out to the very tip of the sail post.

Jump over to the hanging anchor to break the ice surrounding it, then drop down to the previous platform. Head to the far right side and scramble up the wood before jumping to the wood above and using it like a ladder. Scramble up the next slab of wood until you reach the very top, then move to the left and climb up to the icy ledge above.

The next puzzle requires some adept timing to complete. Turn the gear on the ledge by rotating the left analog stick. This lowers the other anchor, but as soon as you release the gear it will quickly reset to the original position. When you’ve turned the gear as much as you can, quickly move to the end of the mast and out toward the anchor, then jump over to the anchor to break the adjacent ice wall. If you’re not fast enough you’ll fall down and need to latch onto the ice wall to prevent taking fall damage.

Once you’ve completed this portion of the puzzle, drop back down to the original platform, then jump over the gap to the left and climb up the ice wall until you reach the oars above. Jump onto the second oar and some of the ice gives way. Press X to reassure your hold, then move to the right. Jump across the ice in your path and continue to move to the right.

Climb up onto the small ice ledge and then scramble up the wood and up to the area above. Collect the Ancient Coins on the ground just ahead, then move up the icy ramp and collect the arrows to the right. Examine the map and the scroll to the left of the arrows, then collect the item box on the left side of the stairs.

Head up the stairs and examine the pedestal at the top to unlock an Ancient Ability for archery. This completes the optional Ice Ship Tomb. You can now head back down to the bridge and continue on your journey. Turn around and head to the far left edge to find a zip line that takes you back to the Glacial Cavern.

Glacial Cavern (cont.)

If you just used the zip line from the Ice Ship, loot the item box right next to your landing position to find an Enamel Brooch. If you skipped the Ice Ship, the item box is located at the very end of the bridge. Collect the brooch, then jump over to the nearby ice wall, latch on and climb to the top. Run to the end of the path and jump across to the ledge above.

Continue across the next gap in the ice and into the tunnel ahead. Be sure to grab the Ancient Coins on the right, just before the tunnel. Move into the water, then dive down and quickly swim forward (rapidly tap B) to make it to the next opening in the ice. Get out of the water and circle around to the right to find another scroll on the ground.

Turn around and continue down the path, then scramble up the wall ahead and move across the bridge and into the tunnel ahead. On the far side of the tunnel is the Soviet Installation. Move toward the camp fire to watch another cut scene.

Continue on to the Soviet Installation or head back to our Rise of the Tomb Raider game hub for more tips and tricks to get through the game.