Climbing Armor Guide — Scaling Every Wall in Hyrule

The Climbing Set is an exploration essential. Each piece provides Climb Speed Up, letting Link scale rock faces faster. The full 2-star set bonus adds Climbing Jump Stamina Up, reducing the stamina cost of mid-climb jumps. Combined, you can reach Sky Islands, tall cliffs, and distant cave entries that would require multiple stamina upgrades to reach without this armor. Every piece is hidden inside a cave — the exploration challenge to find them is fitting.

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Quick Stats

| Stat | Value | |------|-------| | Set Bonus | Climbing Jump Stamina Up | | Per-Piece Bonus | Climb Speed Up | | Upgradeable | Yes (Great Fairy Fountains) | | Fairy Level for Bonus | Level 2 (2-star) | | Category | Exploration | | How to Obtain | Three separate caves across Hyrule |

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Where to Find All Three Pieces

1. Climbing Bandana

Location: Ploymous Mountain Cave (Akkala region)

The Climbing Bandana is in the Ploymous Mountain Cave on the western slope of Ploymous Mountain in the Akkala Highlands.

How to reach it:

1. From the Ulri Mountain Skyview Tower, fly east-southeast toward Ploymous Mountain
2. The cave entrance is on the rocky hillside — look for the cave marker icon or the lit interior
3. Navigate through the cave interior — it contains standard cave enemies (Bubbulfrogs and rock formations)
4. The chest with the Climbing Bandana is at the back of the cave

Tip: The Ulri Mountain Skyview Tower launch gives enough altitude to glide directly to the cave entrance without touching the ground.

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2. Climbing Gear

Location: Upland Lindor Cave (Hyrule Ridge / Lindor's Brow area)

The Climbing Gear tunic is inside the Upland Lindor Cave in the Hyrule Ridge area west of Hyrule Castle.

How to reach it:

1. From Lindor's Brow Skyview Tower, look north-northeast for the cave on the ridge wall
2. Alternatively, approach from the road west of Hyrule Castle and climb the ridge wall — the cave is midway up
3. The cave is marked on the map once you're within range
4. The chest is past the cave's main chamber — may require Ascend to reach an upper ledge

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3. Climbing Boots

Location: Mount Dunsel Cave (Faron Highlands)

The Climbing Boots are in Mount Dunsel Cave in the Faron Highlands south of Lake Hylia.

How to reach it:

1. From the Popla Foothills Skyview Tower, fly southeast toward Mount Dunsel
2. The cave is on the northern face of Mount Dunsel — accessible from the highland plateau above
3. Navigate through the cave interior — it's longer than the others with multiple chambers
4. The chest is in the deepest chamber

Alternative approach: Come from Lurelin Village direction if you've already explored the southern coast — the mountain is visible from the coastline road.

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Set Bonus — Climbing Jump Stamina Up

At 2-star upgrade, the full three-piece set reduces stamina consumed when performing climbing jumps (the button-press hop you do while climbing to gain quick altitude).

Why this matters:

Climbing jumps are the fastest way to ascend — regular climbing is slow, but a sequence of climbing jumps covers vertical distance quickly. The problem is each jump drains significant stamina. Without this set bonus, a tall cliff requires multiple pauses to let stamina regenerate. With the bonus:

• You can chain more climbing jumps before exhausting stamina
• Tall cliff faces that required 2-wheel stamina become reachable with 1.5 wheels
• Sky Island access points become much more achievable with base stamina levels

Combined with Climb Speed Up (per-piece): You're climbing faster AND consuming less stamina on jumps. The difference between no climbing set and full Climbing Set is extreme — some routes become trivially easy that were impossible before.

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Upgrade Costs

1-Star (⭐)

• Per piece: 3x Sticky Lizard, 3x Hightail Lizard

2-Star (⭐⭐) — Set Bonus Unlocked

• Per piece: 5x Sticky Lizard, 5x Sticky Frog

3-Star (⭐⭐⭐)

• Per piece: 5x Energetic Rhino Beetle, 5x Sticky Frog

4-Star (⭐⭐⭐⭐) — Max Defense

• Per piece: 5x Energetic Rhino Beetle, 5x Rugged Rhino Beetle, 1x Star Fragment

Lizard farming tip: Sticky Lizards and Hightail Lizards are found near warm areas — Eldin region, Necluda, and rocky hillsides. They move fast; shoot them with arrows from a distance or crouch-walk slowly to catch them by hand. Sticky Frogs spawn near ponds and rivers, primarily in the Lanayru wetland region and Akkala.

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Exploration Builds Using Climbing Armor

Build 1 — Pure Speed Climber

• Armor: Full Climbing Set at any upgrade level
• Purpose: Reach Sky Islands, summit peaks, access cave entries on steep walls
• Best paired with: Tulin's Gust for lateral repositioning mid-climb, Revali's Gale equivalent

Build 2 — Mixed Exploration (Climbing + Stealth)

• Armor: Climbing Bandana + Stealth Chest + Stealth Tights
• Loses set bonus but gains Stealth bonus for nighttime traversal
• Use case: Sneaking through enemy camps on cliffsides, approaching horse taming locations silently

Build 3 — Climbing + Stamina Food

• Armor: Full Climbing Set at 2-star
• Consumable: Endura Shroom meals or Enduring Elixirs (temporary yellow stamina)
• Result: Effectively unlimited climbing for the duration of the buff — reach any vertical surface in the game
• Key ingredient: Endura Shrooms grow on the slopes of large mountains and in forests; Tireless Frogs are the best elixir base for climbing sessions

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Climbing Set vs. Stamina Upgrades

A common question: should you upgrade stamina vessels or rely on the Climbing Set?

The answer is: both, but Climbing Set first.

The Climbing Set lets you access areas that would need 3+ stamina vessels otherwise, and you can obtain all three pieces with moderate exploration skill before completing most temples. Stamina vessels become more important for combat (shield surf, special dodges) and paragliding distance.

If you have to choose: Climbing Set → then prioritize stamina vessels for temples/combat.

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Climbing Armor Lore

The Climbing Set was designed by an ancient Hylian explorer guild active during the era just before the Calamity — a group that mapped all of Hyrule's cave systems and vertical terrain in preparation for potential conflict with the Calamity. The high-friction boot soles use a composite material derived from Sticky Lizard secretions, and the tunic weave is reinforced with Hightail Lizard tendons, which have exceptional tensile stretch properties. The three pieces were distributed across three separate caves during the guild's explorations and never retrieved — the Calamity came before the expedition could reassemble. The design predates the Sheikah, making it one of Hyrule's oldest surviving functional armors.

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Related Guides

• Best Armor Sets in TotK
• Armor Upgrades Guide
• Sky Islands Guide
• Depths Exploration Guide
• Great Fairy Fountain Guide
• Stamina vs Hearts Guide