SAVING, CHECKPOINTS & TECH SUPPORT: This game incorporates autosave checkpoints. If you only rely on one save slot, you may run into trouble if you get stuck, encounter a bug, or if your autosave becomes corrupted. To avoid problems, I highly recommend changing your save slot in the pause menu at least once per level. If you encounter a bug that can't be fixed by restarting the game, reloading a different save, restoring a backup save in the Xbox version, or rebuilding the game cache in the PC version, I encourage you to visit the Official Rise of the Tomb Raider Support Forum and or put in a support request with Square Enix. I also have PC save files for download.
AREA 7B: GEOTHERMAL VALLEY (Second Visit)
Updated: 1/14/18(†)
Camps: Cliffside Lookout, Cathedral Courtyard
Weapons/Weapon Parts: Heavy Pistol Part (3/4), Break-Action Shotgun Piece (3/4), Full-Auto Shotgun Piece (2/4)
Relics: 3 (13) Documents: 13 (33) Murals: none (4) Coin Caches: 5 (9) Survival Caches: 5 (20) Strongboxes: 3 (8)
Monoliths: 1 (3)* Archivist Maps: 2 (9) Explorer Satchels: none (5)
Challenge Tombs/Codices: 1 (4) Crypts: none (2) Challenges: none (5) Missions: none (4)
Area Maps: Geothermal Valley - second visit | Entire Geothermal Valley
NOTE: The Geothermal Valley is a HUGE area, so I have divided the walkthrough into several sections. This walkthrough covers the visit between THE ACROPOLIS and the FLOODED ARCHIVES levels. Check the level menu for the others. The first number in each of the stat lines above is for this section alone. The number in parentheses is for the entire Geothermal Valley. While the document, relic, and strongbox locations are fixed, the exact items may vary depending on the order in which you find them.
*There are 3 monoliths in this level but the one nearest the Ruins Encampment Base Camp requires level 7 Greek to decipher, so you won't be able to read it at first. Finding all documents, relics, and murals should enable you to read this monolith after completing THE ACROPOLIS. If not, return later once you have sufficient skill.
For subsequent visits, check out the section below on Revisiting This Area Later in the Game and the separate GEOTHERMAL VALLEY COLLECTIBLES GUIDES.
OBJECTIVE: Sneak or Fight through the Occupied Village
As you re-enter the GEOTHERMAL VALLEY from THE ACROPOLIS, Sofia radios to warn Lara that Trinity is swarming around the cathedral where the Atlas is hidden. Lara can see the cathedral from here. She says she knows but has no choice but to go.
Just outside the tunnel is the Cliffside Lookout Base Camp. If you have a Skill Point to spend, I would strongly recommend taking the Deadly Force Brawler skill. Soon you'll be making your way through an enemy-infested area, where silent kills will give you a big advantage. If you already have that one, you might go for Death From Above, also part of the Brawler skill set. Accessing this camp also unlocks another document from the Camp Journals II set called Burden of Truth. A nearby strongbox (6/8) contains a HEAVY PISTOL PART (3/4). (screenshot) There is also a hardwood and a salvage crate just ahead.
If you're not interested in revisiting past areas for pickups, just skip down to the section "Continuing From the Cliffside Lookout," below.
REVISITING THE ACROPOLIS: First, you may want to return to the previous level for 100% completion. Details are included at the end of The Acropolis walkthrough.
REVISITING THE WEST SIDE OF THE GEOTHERMAL VALLEY: When you finish THE ACROPOLIS, you'll have the WIRE SPOOL, which will allow you to access the third Challenge Tomb in this level. If you've been conscientious about collectibles and murals, you'll also have unlocked Level 7 Greek, which will enable you to decipher the third monolith, which happens to be fairly close to that tomb.
Fast travel back to the Ruins Encampment Base Camp. From there, head up the hill to the east to find the monolith (3/3). You probably spotted it earlier on the way to the first big fight with Trinity. (screenshot) Read it to reveal the locations of 3 more coin caches on your map. One is near the second guard tower and the Remnant hunter's cabin on the lakeshore. We'll go after it soon. The other two are in areas that you can't reach yet.
If you examined monolith #2 near the Aqueduct Ruins Base Camp, you'll find another coin cache (4/9) buried not far away from monolith #3, near the entrance to the Physician's Crypt. Use your map to find it or stand near the building with strongbox #4 and face south-southeast to spot the flashing light from the cache. (screenshot)
It's a bit of a trek, but if you like you can go after coin cache (5/9) near the guard tower by the lake. (screenshot) Watch out for the lynx that lives in that area, since it does respawn at intervals. For tips on fighting it, see the first Geothermal Valley walkthrough. If you haven't yet dived off the guard tower for the High-Dive Challenge, do that now. (details) This is also a nice area for hunting and gathering supplies.
There's a minor pickup on the ledge between mural #1 and the waterfall northwest of the village. Climb the tree to reach the top of the square pillar where you found document #11 earlier. (screenshot) Then use a rope arrow to pull the movable ledge toward you. (screenshot) Jump onto it and wait for it to swing back to its original position. Then jump forward and use the grapple to reach the ledge with the container.
The next accessible coin cache (6/9) is buried near the entrance to the House of the Afflicted Challenge Tomb. (screenshot) You can reach it by following the same route you took to get to the tomb originally (details) or fast travel to the Infirmary Base Camp and then follow the passageway back to the tomb entrance. I did not encounter wolves here when I returned, but watch out in case they do respawn.
THE PIT OF JUDGMENT CHALLENGE TOMB: Return to the Ruins Encampment Base Camp and head north, past the spot where Sofia gave her speech to the villagers earlier. Follow the path behind the waterfall and up a set of wooden stairs to the Challenge Tomb entrance. If you haven't yet dived into the pool here for the High-Dive Challenge, now's your chance. (screenshots)
The separate PIT OF JUDGMENT CHALLENGE TOMB WALKTHROUGH includes the Hidden Ravine Base Camp, 2 relics (8/13 and 9/13), 2 documents (17/33 and 18/33), an Explorer Satchel (5/5), an Archivist Map (6/9), 3 survival caches (12-14/20), and a codex which unlocks the Geologist skill.
IMPORTANT: There is a potential bug in the challenge tomb that so far has not been patched. It may occur in the Xbox or PC versions. I don't know what causes it, so I'm not sure how to avoid triggering it. So, just in case, I strongly recommend changing save slots at the Hidden Ravine Camp and not overwriting your previous save until you've completed the tomb. If you encounter the bug (detailed in the tomb walkthrough), you can reload your earlier save, change slots again, and retry the puzzle. If it still doesn't work, reload your earlier save and continue with the game. Hopefully the developers will fix this at some point and you can then return to this area later complete the tomb.
After completing this tomb, you may want to revisit the Remnant herbalist who gave you the Ancient Secrets Mission. (details) Her workshop is southeast of the Ruins Encampment Base camp, near the third monolith. She'll give you 10 gold coins for each Challenge Tomb you've raided since you last saw her.
CONTINUING FROM THE CLIFFSIDE LOOKOUT: Now, lets get on with the story. Use any base camp to fast travel back to the Cliffside Lookout Camp, where you re-entered the valley from THE ACROPOLIS. Grapple-swing over to the zip line and slide down to the ledge below, on the east side of the canyon. Turn around and climb into the wooden shelter above to find a box of supplies and a document (19/33), On the Threat of Wolves from the Ways of the Valley series (Greek). (screenshots)
Climb down and use a grenade arrow to destroy the metal barrier on the wooden shacks. Inside is another strongbox (7/8). This one contains a BREAK-ACTION SHOTGUN PIECE (3/4). Go up the steps beside the shack to a small, grassy ledge with a hardwood sapling, 3 salvage crates, and another document (20/33), Summer from the Pages of the Ledger series (Greek). There's also a survival cache (15/20) buried near the rock wall. (It will be marked on your map if you found Explorer Satchel #4 near the Aqueduct Ruins Base Camp.) Climb the tree in front of the shack and jump onto the roof of the shack. From here you can jump and grapple the rock ledge above the survival cache. From there you can jump and grapple the rock ledge above the survival cache. Pull up to find a box of supplies. Leap back over to the shack roof and from there to the tree branch, then the treehouse on the right. There you'll find an Archivist Map (7/9) that reveals the locations of numerous documents and relics in the area ahead. Slide down the zip line into the swamp below. (screenshots)
SWAMP OUTSIDE THE OCCUPIED VILLAGE: Your goal is on the north side of the swamp, but if you like you can turn around, climb out of the water, and chat up the Remnant scout standing guard here. FYI: the path to the west takes you back to the lower village, and there's a container of cloth on a large rock a short distance in that direction. There's also an oil can a few ledges to the south of where the Remnant is standing.
When you're ready to move on, swim through the swamp to the north. (screenshot) Follow the Survival Instinct beacon if you get disoriented.
NOTE: It's possible to play through the rest of this area without a single kill, relying entirely on stealth. This video from the Tomb Raider developers, 'Advancing Storm' Stealth Playthrough, shows one possible sequence. Naturally you'll have to return later for all the collectibles. The strategy detailed below includes a combination of stealth attacks and cautious but lethal combat and covers all of the available collectibles first time through. There are also many options for more aggressive confrontation, such as using improvised explosives, shooting the red fuel barrels, and so on. Pick the combat style that works best for you.
ENTERING THE OCCUPIED VILLAGE: As you swim up behind the first Trinity soldier stationed at the edge of the clearing, you'll see the Melee icon above his head. Press Y/F/Triangle to drag him into the water and drown him. Then climb out of the water and move into the bushes so the 4 nearby enemies don't see you. (screenshots)
Objective: Pass through the Occupied Village to Reach the Monastery
There's plenty of cover here: more bushes, a small shed you can climb on top of, etc. By all means, improvise, but here's a strategy that worked consistently for me. Start by moving through the bushes to a position behind the wooden shack on the right. If you peer around the corner, you can see the enemy on the far right. When he glows yellow in Survival Instinct, meaning he's far enough from other enemies that his death won't be noticed, kill him with a silent headshot. (screenshots)
When the man on the far left moves away, move back through the bushes to the left side of the clearing, near where you came in. Advance into the bushes near the large boulder but no farther. When the man on the left moves away from both Lara and the other enemies (i.e., yellow in Survival Instinct and facing away from you) take him out with another headshot. Now throw a can/bottle, or shoot an arrow at the cabin on the left. This should cause one of the 2 men near the fire to investigate. You can then kill him with another headshot. Take out his companion the same way. (screenshots)
There's one more enemy inside the cabin on the west side of the clearing. Rather than going straight up the stairs to confront him, enter this building through the little opening on the lower left. Then sneak up behind him and press Melee to use a stealth takedown. Loot his body and then look on the floor near where he fell to find a document (21/33), Attachments from the Conspiracy Theories series. (screenshots)
When the coast is clear, loot all the bodies and pick up ammo and supplies, including 2 clumps of mushrooms near where you climbed out of the water, herbs in the southwest corner, and a coin cache (7/9) buried outside to the left of the cabin you just snuck into. (screenshot) Go back inside the cabin and scramble through the window to the next area. (screenshot)
A brief cutscene shows Lara taking cover behind some boxes as a helicopter drops off some supplies.
OCCUPIED VILLAGE - MIDDLE LEVEL: Again, you can sneak through this area following the strategy laid out in the Crystal Dynamics video, engage in an all-out firefight, or gradually take out the men in this area using stealth combat. Here's one possible sequence: Wait at the starting point behind the boxes until the 2 armored soldiers move away toward the small enclosure to the west. Then go up the steps into the cabin directly opposite the window you just scrambled through. Pick up a bottle or can and toss it into the far corner. This should attract the single soldier standing outside. If you hide behind the desk, he'll pass directly in front of you. You can then take a headshot with your bow or sneak around behind him and press Melee for a stealth takedown. Loot the body and sneak back out the way you came. (screenshots)
There are 4 soldiers in the area by the bonfire: 3 close together and another patrolling in the background. Crouch behind the boxes where you started until one of the 3 nearest enemies heads off to the right. Follow him, moving into the bushes to the right of the big log. As he moves behind the stacked supplies, shielding him from the other soldiers' view, quickly move in behind him and kill him with a stealth attack. If you've unlocked the Deadly Force skill, you should be able to do this without attracting unwanted attention. Alternatively, you can lure him away from the others with distraction and kill him with a poison arrow from the cover of the bushes. A regular headshot won't work because he's wearing a helmet. (screenshots)
The stack of crates on your left should shield you from the 2 men by the fire. Watch the hillside ahead and when the single soldier patrolling there moves to the right, kill him with a silent headshot. Then lean out around the crates and take out the 2 men by the fire with one poison arrow. Lara is not bound by Trinity's treasure-reporting guidelines, so feel free to take the pile of gold coins on the table. Loot the bodies except for the man on the hillside. Approaching him will trigger the appearance of another enemy from the north side of the village. He's pretty sharp and tends to holler when he sees Lara, so we'll deal with him later. (screenshots)
NOTE: If any of the men spots Lara and yells out a warning, this enemy will appear sooner and come toward you wherever you may be.
For now, head back to the west between the cabins. Move quietly as you approach the 2 armored men under the wooden shelter. If you act quickly, you can kill them both with one poison arrow—or simultaneous headshots if you've unlocked the Double Shot and True Shot skills. Coupled with the Finesse skill, this chain of stealth kills will earn you mucho XP. Otherwise, wait until the man on the right wanders away, kill him with a headshot, and then take out his partner. (screenshots)
Loot the bodies and examine the document (22/33) on the nearby crate. It is Forgiveness from Konstantin's Operational Report series. There's also a strongbox (8/8) just to the left of the shelter. It contains a FULL-AUTO SHOTGUN PIECE (2/4). (screenshots)
NOTE: There's a survival cache buried off to the west, but a spiked wooden barrier prevents you from reaching it right now. You may also notice some glowing barrels if you activate survival instinct. These are part of a later challenge.
Climb the nearby tree and jump onto the roof of the shelter. From here, you can leap onto the wide ledge above and behind the shelter. There's another document (23/33) here, On Bears from the Ways of the Valley series (Greek), and a flammable barrier, concealing a cave. Inside you'll find a nice cache of supplies, as well as another document (24/33) written in Greek. It is The Sermon from the series called The Apostle. (screenshots)
Exit the cave and head down the hill to the left (east). As you re-enter the area near the bonfire, a single Trinity soldier (mentioned earlier) comes through the building in the northeast corner. If you stay hidden, you can take him out as he moves toward the fire to survey the carnage. If he does notice Lara, it's not a big deal since there's nobody close by to answer his call for reinforcements. (screenshots)
At this point, you can take as much time as you want to scour the area you've already cleared for ammunition, salvage, and other supplies. When you're ready to move on, go through the ruined shack where the last soldier came from. (Follow the Survival Instinct beacon if you get disoriented.) Pick up another document (25/33) sitting on a box inside. It is Initiation from the brilliantly creepy Heart of Darkness series. Then continue out the other side of the shack and up the path to the next area. (screenshots)
OCCUPIED VILLAGE - UPPER LEVEL: As you approach, a short cutscene shows a large cabin teeming with soldiers and your objective, the cathedral, high above. There are many different ways to get through this section, from the non-violent sneak tactics demonstrated in the Crystal Dynamics video, to aggressive guerilla fighting using weapons and improvised explosives like molotovs, shrapnel grenades, petrol bombs, and Trinity's own fuel barrels. This walkthrough describes a series of stealth attacks that I found worked consistently.
From the starting point on the south side of the clearing, move behind the boxes on the right and through the bushes along the right (east) wall. Scramble up onto the roof of the second small shed. From here you'll have a good view of the area ahead, and the enemies won't notice you if you stay quiet. (screenshots)
Take out the 4 men guarding the front of the building first, since they can all be isolated from the others. Wait for the one standing in the upper-level room to turn away from you and move inside (i.e., yellow in survival instinct). Then take him out with a silent bow headshot. If you hit him while he's looking out over the clearing, his body can fall off the edge, alerting the others, so be patient. When the man on the porch at the lower left walks toward the back corner, and his companion moves off to the right, kill the guy on the left with another headshot. When the man patrolling on the ground in the right corner moves to the right, shoot an arrow into the dirt to draw him away from the man on the porch. The man on the ground is wearing armor and a helmet, so a headshot won't work. Instead, hit him with a poison arrow. Then headshot the guy on the porch when he's yellow in Survival Instinct view. (screenshots)
Now pick up the bottle sitting on the roof. (There are more bottles and cans down below, and you can also use an arrow for this next bit of distraction.) Wait for one of the 4 men by the bonfire to approach. Throw the bottle against the rock wall behind the shed where you're standing. This should attract the man's attention. If you have the Death From Above skill, wait for the Melee prompt. Then press Y/F/Triangle to jump down and dispatch him with your knife. Otherwise, use a bow choke or headshot. (screenshots)
Wait for one of the 3 men remaining by the fire to move off to the left. If he doesn't cooperate, throw a bottle or can over there to draw him away. When he's far enough from the others not to attract attention, take him out with a headshot. Move around behind the shed on the left (when facing the bonfire). Pick up any throwable object and toss it off to the left to separate the 2 remaining men. Headshot the one who goes to investigate. Then take care of the other guy. There are still a few men inside the cabin, so try and do this quietly. (screenshots)
Move around to the front left corner of the cabin. Climb the tree and jump onto the roof of the porch where you shot the second guy at the start of this encounter. At the left end of this little roof is a hole where you can see into the building. If you wait a moment, one of the 2 men below should step closer to his companion. Then you can kill them both with one poison arrow. (screenshots)
At this point there should only be one enemy left, so stealth is no longer crucial. However, if you have the Finesse skill, you'll receive bonus XP for chaining stealth kills. So drop down onto the front porch and move around to the doorway. The last guy is usually just inside on the right. Sneak up on him while he's checking Facebook and take him out with a melee attack. (screenshots)
Scale the Cathedral to Find the Entrance
Before moving on, run outside and gather ammo, salvage, and supplies. In addition to the obvious pickups, there are 2 lumps of magnesite in the bushes near the eastern wall and a coin cache (8/9) buried in the southeast corner, near where you entered this area. (screenshot) You'll also find a document (26/33), The Goal from Konstantin's Operational Report series, sitting under the roof on the left side of the porch. (screenshot) Inside the cabin, climb the stairs to find another document (27/33) sitting on a crate. This is Lost in Memories from Ana's Research Notes. (screenshot)
CATHEDRAL COURTYARD: Move out onto the ledge at the front of the building overlooking the bonfire. Turn left, jump off the little wooden ramp, and press Interact to deploy your grapple axe, catching the wooden handhold on the wall below the statue. Now use a combination of regular and axe climbing to reach the top of the wall. (screenshots)
As you enter the ruins, it starts to rain. Stay alert. There's a lynx enjoying its dinner on the broken bridge ahead. If you have the Animal Instincts skill it will glow in Survival Instinct view. Stand at the top of the stairs and shoot it with 2 poison arrows in rapid succession to weaken it. Then, as it leaps down and comes up the stairs on the left, switch to the shotgun and take it down as it charges. (Alternatively, 2 grenade arrows can kill it before it even has a chance to jump down, but you may want to save those for tougher enemies later on.) Be sure to skin it for exotic hides. Continue down the stairs to find a document (28/33), The Visitor from the Diary of the Resistance series (Greek), sitting on a crate near the Cathedral Courtyard Base Camp. (screenshots)
Dig up a survival cache (16/20) tucked away in a corner about halfway along the south wall. (This is one of the caches revealed by the Explorer Satchel near the Aqueduct Ruins Base Camp. Use your map if you're having trouble finding it.) Move up the broken bridge and loot the lynx's kill for deer hide. Then climb the stairs to the northwest corner to find a box with a relic (10/13) an Arrowhead from the Early Inhabitants set. (screenshots)
CLIMBING TO THE CATHEDRAL: Continue up the stairs to the south. Use the horizontal pole to swing across to the next ledge, where you'll find some salvage. Grapple-swing across the next wide gap and grab a handhold on the tower ahead. As you climb around to the left and upward, the soldier on the ledge above talks to someone by radio. If you wait until he's quiet, you can scramble up onto the ledge and then sneak up behind him for a stealth attack. Open the box of supplies on this same ledge. Then jump and grapple the ledge to the south, climb up, and follow the stairs to the top, where you'll find another document (29/33), Vow of Poverty from The Apostle series (Greek). (screenshots)
Jump and grab the jutting beam ahead. Pull up. Then scramble up the wall to grab the narrow stone ledge above. Climb around to the right and pull up into the archway. Step out onto the red wooden ledge. Grapple-swing across to the opposite doorway. Climb the curved staircase and crack open the salvage crate at the top. Step outside and look to the right to spot 2 enemies. If you've been emphasizing those bow skills and upgrades, you should have no trouble making headshots from here. (screenshots)
Next, jump out and grapple the top of the wall to the east. Climb up and walk to the right end of the wall. Jump down onto the ledge below to get some more salvage. Then jump off the end of the wooden ramp and grapple the tower ahead. Climb up and around to the left into the area where one of the two enemies was standing. If he didn't fall off the edge when you shot him, you can loot his body. You'll find herbs and possibly feathers and hardwood here as well. (screenshots)
Then, either grapple-swing across to the ledge ahead on the left or scale the climbable wall up and around to the right to the ledge where the second man was. Search the body if it's still here and grab some herbs from the container. Jump down onto the ledge below and to the south to find a box of supplies. (screenshots)
Leap off the edge and grapple the broken archway to the south. Climb up on top of the arch and move in toward the wall. Scale the climbable section of wall with your axes. Then scramble up to the handhold above. Climb, then jump, to the right, and finally scramble up once more to reach the ledge above. Go down the stairs and around to the right to enter the FLOODED ARCHIVES. (screenshots)
REVISITING THIS AREA LATER IN THE GAME
There are still a few parts of the Geothermal Valley we have not yet been able to reach. After completing the FLOODED ARCHIVES, we'll revisit the upper village to make a few final pickups, complete a challenge, and gain access to the area above the waterfall on the northwest side of the valley.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 1/21/16 - First draft of walkthrough posted online.
1/30/16 - Added PC keyboard controls and renumbered level 7C, rather than 9. I'm still not sure how the final sequence will be numbered, but it seemed to make more sense to give revisited areas the same number as the original levels. So Geothermal Valley Revisited is now 7C, and Flooded Archives is 9.
2/5/16 - Added notes and screenshots for the achievement "For My Next Trick," which was later edited and moved to the first-visit walkthrough.
3/15/16 - Added note about mine cart bug in Pit of Judgment Challenge Tomb.
6/5-6/7/16 - Combined first two sections of Geothermal Valley into one, resulting in the renumbering of this level from 7C to 7B. Made a few more minor tweaks here to clarfiy and fix internal links. Created separate maps for the second and third visits with collectibles and challenge items noted.
6/9/16 - Added comprehensive valley map.
6/11/16 - Added separate collectibles guides.
6/25/16 - Added reminder about third monolith
being accessible on 2nd or 3rd visit to the valley.
10/11/16 - Added PS4 controls.
1/14/18 - Added the box of supplies on the ledge above Survival Cache #15. Thanks to Alonzorion for spotting that.
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