West Mountaintops of the Giants

Key takeaways

• You cannot reach this area normally until after defeating Morgott, the Omen King The Grand Lift of Rold then becomes the gateway from the Forbidden Lands.
• Collect the western map fragment early It lies on the main road just south of Zamor Ruins and makes the region’s misleading cliffs and vertical routes much easier to read.
• The main western route is not the only route The southern road leads through Zamor and the Ancient Snow Valley, while the higher western route reaches Heretical Rise, Guardians’ Garrison and the Forge approach.
• Castle Sol is essential for the Haligtree route Defeating Commander Niall allows you to obtain the left half of the Haligtree Secret Medallion.
• The Forge of the Giants is a major progression point Interacting with it after defeating the Fire Giant advances the main story and changes parts of the world state, so finish important exploration and quests first.
• The region is dangerous because of visibility, terrain and ambushes rather than only boss strength. Giant skeletons, birds, hand enemies, spectral soldiers and lightning or frost hazards can punish careless mounted travel.

About this guide

Overview

The West Mountaintops of the Giants is the southern and western portion of the Mountaintops of the Giants region in Elden Ring. It begins at the Grand Lift of Rold and the approach from the Forbidden Lands, then stretches north-west through the Zamor ruins, the Ancient Snow Valley, the high western plateau and the approaches to Castle Sol. Its most important destinations are the Giants’ Mountaintop Catacombs, Heretical Rise, Guardians’ Garrison, Castle Sol, and the Forge of the Giants route.

The game’s broader Mountaintops region is commonly divided into:

These divisions are useful for navigation, but they are not separate regions in the same way as Limgrave, Liurnia or Caelid. The map fragment for the western section is found south of the Zamor Ruins Site of Grace, while the eastern fragment is found near Giant’s Gravepost.

This guide treats the western section as the area reached immediately after the Grand Lift of Rold, including the major route through Zamor and the western approach to Castle Sol. Castle Sol is physically in the north-western Mountaintops, although some guides group it with the broader Mountaintops rather than with the western map-fragment section. The eastern lake, First Church of Marika and the Fire Giant arena are discussed only where they connect directly to western exploration.

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Introduction

• West Mountaintops of the Giants
• East Mountaintops of the Giants
• Consecrated Snowfield

What counts as West Mountaintops?

The western section begins immediately beyond the Grand Lift of Rold. The first visible landmarks are the Zamor Ruins, followed by the road north towards the snow valley. The section is bounded broadly as follows:

The western map fragment is positioned on the road south of Zamor Ruins. The eastern map fragment is farther north-east near Giant’s Gravepost, which is why the two halves are treated separately by the in-game map system.

What counts as West Mountaintops?

Included subareas

The following places belong to the western Mountaintops or are sufficiently connected to it to be useful in a western guide:

Southern entrance and Zamor route

• Grand Lift of Rold
• Zamor Ruins

Western and north-western plateau

• Castle Sol

Forge approach

• Forge of the Giants

Standard route

The Grand Lift of Rold is the intended entrance. It is not possible to reach the main Mountaintops by ordinary climbing from the surrounding regions.

Standard route: steps

1. 01
   Progress through Leyndell, Royal Capital.
2. 02
   Defeat Morgott, the Omen King.
3. 03
   Speak with Melina at the Erdtree after the boss encounter.
4. 04
   Leave Leyndell through the eastern route into the Forbidden Lands.
5. 05
   Follow the road to the Grand Lift of Rold.
6. 06
   Use the ordinary Rold Medallion given during the main story.
7. 07
   At the top, travel forward into the Mountaintops and activate the nearby Site of Grace.

The Haligtree route

The far-western and north-western paths eventually lead towards the Consecrated Snowfield, but the route is blocked until you possess both halves of the Haligtree Secret Medallion.

Return to the Grand Lift of Rold and select Hoist secret medallion rather than the ordinary medallion. This opens the route to the Consecrated Snowfield.

Castle Sol is therefore optional for the main story but important for exploration, completion and access to Miquella’s Haligtree.

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This order is not mandatory. Players who want the Haligtree route early can prioritise Castle Sol. Players following Goldmask and Corhyn should instead visit the broken bridge area at the appropriate point in their quest.

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A practical order is

1. 01
   Activate the Zamor Ruins Site of Grace.
2. 02
   Ride south-west or south-east as necessary to collect the western map fragment.
3. 03
   Explore the Zamor Ruins and defeat or avoid the Zamor warriors.
4. 04
   Detour into the Giants’ Mountaintop Catacombs.
5. 05
   Follow the main road north through the Ancient Snow Valley Ruins.
6. 06
   Visit the Snow Valley Ruins Overlook and look for quest NPCs.
7. 07
   Explore the western high ground around Heretical Rise and the Shack of the Lofty.
8. 08
   Enter Guardians’ Garrison for its spell and enemy rewards.
9. 09
   Travel towards Castle Sol and clear the castle before confronting Commander Niall.
10. 10
    Complete the Castle Sol rooftop route and collect the Haligtree medallion half.
11. 11
    Return south-east through Whiteridge Road and continue towards the Fire Giant route.
12. 12
    Clear the Giant-Conquering Hero’s Grave, Spiritcaller’s Cave and Church of Repose as desired.
13. 13
    Defeat the Fire Giant only after finishing relevant exploration and quest preparations.
14. 14
    Decide whether to activate the Forge immediately or return to complete outstanding tasks.

The broken mountain road

The western Mountaintops is built around a narrow, fractured road system. Several apparent paths end at sheer drops, while others require riding around the side of a plateau rather than approaching a landmark directly.

The map is especially useful after collecting the western fragment. The fragment is on the road south of Zamor Ruins, and some guides recommend circling back from the upper western section because the direct approach is obscured by the shape of the cliffs.

Weather and visibility

Snowfall, white terrain and broad open spaces can conceal enemies at medium range. The region also uses ambushes beneath the snow, particularly around giant skeletons and ruined structures.

Mounted travel is usually safest between major destinations, but dismount before entering:

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Sites of Grace

The following Sites of Grace are associated with the western Mountaintops or its directly connected routes:

Some of these, particularly First Church of Marika and Giant’s Gravepost, are more naturally treated as eastern Mountaintops locations. The complete Mountaintops region contains 19 Sites of Grace according to interactive map listings, so a western guide should not silently present the above list as the entire region.

Sites of Grace

• Zamor Ruins
• Forge of the Giants

Named landmarks and buildings

The Shack of the Lofty is a named landmark rather than a conventional settlement or commercial business. Do not infer services from the name. The nearby merchant is reached through the surrounding high ground and spirit-spring route, not because the shack operates as a shop.

Named landmarks and buildings

• Grand Lift of Rold
• Zamor Ruins
• Castle Sol
• Forge of the Giants

Decorative and non-functional structures

The western Mountaintops contains ruined houses, abandoned military positions, broken bridges, graveyards, watch posts and castle outworks. These are environmental landmarks rather than independent settlements. The most significant named military structure is Guardians’ Garrison, while Castle Sol functions as the principal fortified dungeon.

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Residents and ordinary NPCs

Quest-associated visitors

Zamor warriors

The ruins are occupied by Zamor warriors. They are fast, aggressive humanoid enemies using curved weapons and frost-related attacks. Their evasive movement makes them more dangerous than their apparent size suggests.

Fire monks

The western military routes are guarded by Fire Monk forces, especially around Guardians’ Garrison. These enemies use fire incantations, shields and heavy weapons. Fire resistance and ranged interruption are valuable.

Castle Sol garrison

Castle Sol is occupied by a mixture of:

The castle’s enemies are not simply decorative guards. Several corridors are designed around overlapping patrols and ambushes. Activate the internal Sites of Grace as soon as possible and consider clearing side rooms before attempting the rooftops.

Ordinary wildlife and field enemies

Some encounters are fixed, while others are ordinary field groups that can be bypassed or re-engaged after resting.

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Tibia Mariner

The Tibia Mariner encounter is associated with the Mountaintops and appears in a graveyard setting. It summons skeletal support and uses teleportation and area attacks. Holy damage, wide attacks and careful attention to summoned skeletons make the fight more manageable.

Death Rite Bird

The Mountaintops Death Rite Bird is a dangerous nocturnal field boss. It is encountered in the open world and is most safely fought at night. Its attacks combine frost, fire-like death effects and sweeping aerial movement.

Do not confuse it with Death Rite Birds in other regions. The species recurs across the game, but each encounter has a separate location and reward.

Erdtree Avatar

The western Minor Erdtree is guarded by an Erdtree Avatar. The boss uses large physical attacks and holy projectiles. Mounted combat can help maintain distance, but the narrow terrain and incoming projectiles make dismounting useful when the fight reaches the tree’s base.

Commander Niall

Commander Niall is the main boss of Castle Sol. He begins the fight with two spectral knight summons and then uses frost and lightning-based attacks, powerful kicks and sweeping halberd strikes.

Defeating him allows access to the castle rooftop and the left half of the Haligtree Secret Medallion.

Useful approaches include

1. 01
   Eliminate or control one spectral knight quickly.
2. 02
   Use spirit ashes to divide the arena.
3. 03
   Exploit the summons with ranged attacks or status effects.
4. 04
   Keep space when Niall enters his powered-up phase.
5. 05
   Avoid treating the fight as a simple duel, since his pressure increases sharply after his allies are defeated.

Fire Giant

The Fire Giant is the major story boss of the Mountaintops, although his arena is more naturally associated with the eastern and central route towards the Forge. He must be defeated before the player can properly use the Forge of the Giants to advance the story.

The fight is divided into phases. Targeting the injured leg is effective in the first phase, while the second phase changes his attack patterns and reduces the usefulness of staying directly underneath him. Torrent can be summoned during the battle and is particularly useful for repositioning.

Dungeon bosses

The western section also contains dungeon encounters, including:

These dungeons should be treated separately from open-world encounters. Their layouts, enemy groups and rewards are fixed, not procedurally generated.

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Giants’ Mountaintop Catacombs

This catacomb lies near the early road beyond Zamor. It uses the familiar Elden Ring catacomb design of branching passages, trapped corridors, imps and a lever-operated boss door.

The dungeon is an early opportunity to gather runes and upgrade materials before moving deeper into the snowy plateau.

Heretical Rise

Heretical Rise is a sealed tower puzzle. The apparent entrance is not the normal way inside. The solution involves using an invisible bridge from the surrounding cliffs. The bridge is difficult to see because it blends into the snow and air.

Approach slowly, use the map and observe the direction of nearby broken bridges. The reward at the top is a sorcery associated with the tower’s challenge.

This is one of the clearest examples of the region’s reliance on visual misdirection. The tower is visible from a distance, but its intended approach is not immediately obvious.

Guardians’ Garrison

Guardians’ Garrison is a fortified Fire Monk outpost. It is a compact but dangerous building with narrow stairs, elevated defenders and close-range ambushes.

The garrison contains the incantation Giantsflame Take Thee, making it especially valuable for faith-based characters. The spell is obtained near the top of the fort after navigating its defenders.

Giant-Conquering Hero’s Grave

This grave is built around the region’s giant-themed history and contains enemies that interact with the dungeon’s special damage rules. The site includes hidden routes, powerful guardians and a boss encounter.

Spiritcaller’s Cave

Spiritcaller’s Cave is an optional cave whose enemies and boss rely heavily on spirit summons. It is easier if you bring broad attacks, stagger tools or a way to control multiple targets.

Because the cave’s combat can become crowded, shields and area attacks are often more useful than single-target burst damage.

Castle Sol

Castle Sol is the region’s main legacy dungeon. It is built into a snowy cliff complex and consists of a gatehouse, internal courtyards, rooftops, side passages and a final boss route.

Castle Sol should be explored thoroughly before leaving. Its side routes contain valuable equipment and are easy to miss because the castle’s roofline and interior courtyards are connected by ladders, drops and narrow walkways.

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Map fragment

The western map fragment is on the main road south of Zamor Ruins. Pick it up before extensive exploration. The snow and cliff layout otherwise make it difficult to identify the relationship between Castle Sol, the central road and the western plateau.

Castle Sol rewards

The most important fixed reward is the left Haligtree medallion half, obtained after the Commander Niall sequence. Other castle rewards include weapons, armour pieces, talismans, smithing materials and consumables placed throughout the dungeon.

Because some rewards are in side rooms or on rooftops, a completion-focused player should revisit every unlocked section after defeating Niall.

Merchant stock

The Hermit Merchant’s stock is fixed rather than procedural. He is useful for:

Stock lists can vary by guide presentation, so check the merchant’s actual inventory in-game rather than assuming every item associated with a regional merchant is sold by this particular NPC.

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Shabriri and the Frenzied Flame

Shabriri’s appearance near Zamor is one of the region’s clearest ending-related events. If the player is pursuing the Frenzied Flame, his instructions eventually lead to the subterranean route beneath Leyndell and the Three Fingers.

Do not accept major ending-related choices casually if you are aiming for a different conclusion. Although the Frenzied Flame can be removed later through a specific quest sequence, doing so requires reaching the end of Millicent’s storyline and defeating a difficult optional boss in another region.

Millicent

Millicent’s appearance at Ancient Snow Valley Ruins depends on earlier progress. If she is absent:

Her Mountaintops appearance is a waypoint in a longer quest, not a standalone mission.

Corhyn and Goldmask

Corhyn and Goldmask’s Mountaintops meeting continues the investigation that eventually produces the Age of Order ending. Speak with both characters and exhaust their dialogue before progressing to later areas.

Their positions are quest-dependent. A player who has not started or advanced their earlier encounters will not necessarily find them at the bridge.

The Forge and the point of no return

After defeating the Fire Giant, the player can approach the Forge of the Giants and speak with Melina. Activating the Forge moves the story forward into Crumbling Farum Azula.

The game does not permanently remove every optional activity at this moment, but the transition changes the world and can affect NPC availability, dialogue and quest progression. Treat it as a major story checkpoint.

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Hidden western route

The western cliffs contain routes that are not obvious from the southern road. Search for:

The region often presents a landmark from the wrong side. If a tower or fort seems unreachable, circle the plateau rather than repeatedly approaching its front entrance.

Giant skeletons

Large skeletons can erupt from the snow and attack with enormous sweeping strikes. They are most dangerous when the player is distracted by smaller enemies or riding close to cliff edges.

Keep moving, avoid stopping beneath the skull and do not assume that defeating nearby enemies prevents another skeleton from appearing.

Birds and wolves

Castle Sol’s approach and internal areas contain fast animal enemies that can stagger the player before the larger defenders arrive. Clear them first if you are attempting a careful run, or ride past them without stopping.

Frost and fire

The Mountaintops combines frost effects with Fire Monk and giant-flame attacks. Consider carrying:

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Before using the Forge

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Is Castle Sol part of West Mountaintops?

It is in the north-western Mountaintops and is commonly included in western exploration routes. Some guides group it under the broader Mountaintops region rather than strictly under the western map-fragment half. For practical purposes, a West Mountaintops guide should include Castle Sol because it is reached from the western route and provides the Haligtree medallion half.

Can I reach the western plateau immediately?

You can explore much of the western Mountaintops after using the Grand Lift, but the route to the Consecrated Snowfield remains locked until you obtain both Haligtree Secret Medallion halves.

Where is the western map fragment?

It is on the road south of Zamor Ruins, near the start of the Mountaintops. The map-fragment stele is one of the first major landmarks after leaving the Grand Lift route.

Is the Hermit Merchant inside the Shack of the Lofty?

No. The merchant is associated with the nearby high-ground route and is reached through the area around the shack and spirit spring. The shack itself is not a conventional shop.

Should I fight Commander Niall before the Fire Giant?

You can choose either order, but Commander Niall is worth prioritising if you want access to the western secret route and the Haligtree medallion. The Fire Giant is the main story gate for the Forge, so many players clear Castle Sol and optional western content first.

Does using the Forge permanently end the game?

No, but it advances the story into Crumbling Farum Azula and changes the world state. Because of possible quest and dialogue changes, it is best treated as a major progression checkpoint rather than an ordinary interactable object.

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Research and boundary note

The game itself does not present a single universally labelled boundary line for “West Mountaintops of the Giants”. The western and eastern map fragments establish the most useful division, while guide sites differ over whether Castle Sol, the Fire Giant route and some northern landmarks should be assigned strictly to the western half or to the broader Mountaintops region. This guide therefore uses a practical player-facing boundary: the area reached from the Grand Lift, including the Zamor, snow-valley, western plateau and Castle Sol routes, while keeping Consecrated Snowfield separate. The broad regional structure and map-fragment positions are supported by the Eldenpedia map listing, Game8’s three-part Mountaintops division and walkthrough route descriptions.

Sources

• Maps - Eldenpedia — eldenring.wiki.gg
• Elden Ring Mountaintops of the Giants Walkthrough — powerpyx.com
• Sites of Grace | Elden Ring Wiki | Fandom — eldenring.fandom.com
• Mountaintops of the Giants Interactive Map | Elden Ring — eldenringinteractivemap.com
• How to complete the Millicent quest in Elden Ring — pcgamer.com