Ascending the Mountain is the last Raider Project before Frozen Trail, and it is really a 27-day materials sprint disguised as a story quest. This guide lists all 4 stages, every exact material, the rare bottleneck items that will actually slow you down, and the fastest way to finish before the window closes.
Quick answer: Ascending the Mountain is a four-stage Raider Project added in Update 1.45.0 (live September 8, 2026). You submit crafting materials and rare ARC components across four stages to earn 15 rewards, ending with the Tempest assault rifle and a Hot Air Balloon Charm. It is a temporary project that runs for 27 days — from September 8 to October 5, 2026 — after which it disappears; the Frozen Trail update itself lands on October 8. The four rare chokepoints — Sentinel Firing Cores, a Rocket Thruster, Broken Guidance Systems, and Vaporizer Regulators — are what you should prioritise (extract the enemy drops on sight, route toward the scavenged ones); everything else you collect naturally while raiding.
ARC Raiders - Blueprints
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What is the Ascending the Mountain project?
Ascending the Mountain is a story-driven Raider Project that continues the Phantom Targets mystery. Per the official 1.45.0 notes, "Raider efforts have revealed clues to the mystery of phantom ARC signals that have Shani concerned... these signals lead ARC to a place we can't follow — the mountain range just beyond the reach of our Tube system. Rumor has it Apollo's working on an experimental solution." You are collecting the parts Apollo needs to build a way north — directly setting up the Frozen Trail expansion.
Mechanically, it is a collection project: four stages, each asking for a different set of materials, available once Raider Projects unlock at account level 20. It is not a combat quest — it is a farming checklist with a deadline. That is the key framing: treat it as a to-do list you chip away at during normal raids, not a set of dedicated grind runs.
Two dates make this project matter more than a normal collection:
- October 5, 2026 — the project closes. Ascending the Mountain is temporary and only runs for 27 days from the 1.45.0 launch. Miss the window and the rewards are gone. (Check the in-game project timer to confirm your exact remaining time — do not leave it to the last day.)
- October 8, 2026 — Frozen Trail launches, and Cred is retired. The 1.45.0 notes confirm Cred expires with Frozen Trail, so spend it with Shani or on Raider Deck rewards before then. Finishing this project first is part of the same pre-update cleanup, and it is the on-ramp to the new mountain region.
All 4 stages and every material
Below is the full submission list for every stage. Common materials (Mechanical Components, Wires, Sensors) you will pile up naturally — the items in bold are the rare ARC components worth changing your whole run for the moment you see one.
Stage 1 — Research High-Altitude Mechanics
| Material | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Components | 10 | Uncommon; salvaged from most ARC and tech containers |
| Pop Triggers | 6 | Scavenged from destroyed Pops and Couriers (not craftable — the recipe consumes them) |
| Explosive Compounds | 10 | Rare crafting mat |
| Headphones | 2 | Residential/loot-container find |
Stage 2 — Begin Ignition Tests
| Material | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wires | 20 | Very common — stop recycling these |
| Voltage Converters | 8 | Mid-tier tech loot |
| Sentinel Firing Cores | 2 | Rare — drops from Sentinels; extract on sight |
| Rocket Thruster | 1 | Rare Exodus scavenging loot — look on Stella Montis and at Spaceport Rocket Assembly (not an ARC drop) |
Stage 3 — Implement Landing Capabilities
| Material | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ruined Parachutes | 2 | Uncommon loot-room find |
| Crash Mats | 10 | Uncommon throwable — scavenge them, or craft at Utility Station 1 (Stage 2 hands you the blueprint) from 1 Electrical Components + 1 Durable Cloth |
| Shredder Gyros | 5 | Dropped by Shredders |
| Breathtaking Snow Globes | 3 | Epic trinket — appears in Residential, Old World & Commercial loot; the usual wall |
Stage 4 — Final Tweaks
| Material | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | 30 | Rare but needed in bulk — bank them early |
| Broken Guidance Systems | 3 | Rare — scavenged from Industrial loot; don't recycle the ones you find |
| Advanced Electrical Components | 15 | Mid-tier; recyclable from electronics |
| Vaporizer Regulators | 3 | Epic — drops from destroyed Vaporizers, and Couriers can carry them too |
The single most common mistake is treating all materials equally and recycling the wrong things. Wires, Sensors, Mechanical Components, and Advanced Electrical Components are needed in bulk here and elsewhere in your progression — keep a reserve instead of scrapping them. If you have been recycling Sensors, you will feel Stage 4's count of 30 the most.
What are the hardest materials to farm?
Four items decide how long this project takes. Everything else is filler you accumulate by playing normally.
- Breathtaking Snow Globes (x3, Stage 3). Often called the project's biggest wall by the community. It is an Epic trinket, not a crafting mat, so you cannot craft or recycle your way to it — you have to find three in Residential, Old World, or Commercial loot. Loot every trinket container you pass.
- Sentinel Firing Cores (x2, Stage 2). These drop from Sentinels. When one lands in your bag, your priority flips instantly: survive and extract. A Firing Core you failed to extract is a wasted 20-minute raid.
- Rocket Thruster (x1, Stage 2). This one is not an ARC drop — it is Rare Exodus scavenging loot, most reliably found on Stella Montis and around the Spaceport's Rocket Assembly. Route through those interiors when you are hunting it.
- Vaporizer Regulators (x3, Stage 4). Best farmed off destroyed Vaporizers, but Couriers can also carry them, so you do not strictly have to win the Vaporizer fight. If you are killing Vaporizers anyway, bank the Regulators for the project instead of selling them.
- Broken Guidance Systems (x3, Stage 4). A Rare item scavenged from Industrial loot — work Industrial zones and loot the containers rather than hunting a specific enemy. (Do not recycle the ones you find: recycling a Broken Guidance System turns it into Processors, so you would destroy the very item the project wants.)
If you need to top up crafting stock so you are not tempted to submit materials you still need for gear, you can buy ARC Raiders materials by rarity and keep your own rare drops for the project stages.
ARC Raiders - Materials
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What is the fastest way to complete Ascending the Mountain?
The proven approach is passive collection, not target farming. Here is the efficient path:
- Stop recycling. From now until you finish, keep every Wire, Sensor, Mechanical Component, Advanced Electrical Component, Voltage Converter, and Explosive Compound. You need 30 Sensors and 20 Wires alone — banking them early removes two chores.
- Extract-on-sight the enemy-drop rares. The moment a Sentinel Firing Core or Vaporizer Regulator hits your bag, stop pushing fights and get to an extract. Survival > a full backpack.
- Scavenge the loot-pool rares. The Rocket Thruster (Stella Montis / Spaceport Rocket Assembly) and Broken Guidance Systems (Industrial loot) come from containers, not kills — work them into the routes you already run.
- Hunt Snow Globes deliberately. Because they are Epic trinkets and cannot be crafted, do a couple of loot-focused runs through Residential/Old World/Commercial specifically checking trinket containers.
- Play the map you already run. Do not force a single-material route into a dangerous area. Submit materials stage by stage as you clear each set — the project fills in on its own.
- Split roles in a squad. One player searches technical/tech containers for components while others cover threats and lock down the exit. Divided looting clears the common counts fast.
Solo players should favor short, repeatable routes with a reliable extract nearby — the goal is consistent survival with tech loot, not hero runs for one rare component.
Rewards and why you should finish
Ascending the Mountain hands out 15 rewards across the four stages — a mix of progression items, equipment, and blueprints, capped by the two chase pieces:
- Tempest assault rifle (final-stage weapon reward)
- Hot Air Balloon Charm (cosmetic completion reward)
Because the rewards are front-to-back and the final stage is where the best pieces sit, this is not a project to abandon after the easy early rewards. But the real value is timing: completing it now turns ordinary raids into progress on a limited-time objective while you build the material stockpile you will want going into Frozen Trail. Do not empty your entire stash to finish fast — spend Cred, finish the project, and keep a healthy reserve for the new content.
If leveling to 20 for the project unlock or grinding the rare components is not how you want to spend the run-up to Frozen Trail, our ARC Raiders carry and leveling services can get your account project-ready.
FAQ
When does Ascending the Mountain end? It is a temporary project that runs for 27 days — from the Update 1.45.0 launch on September 8, 2026 to October 5, 2026 — after which it disappears. The Frozen Trail update itself lands a few days later on October 8, so finish and claim your rewards before the project closes on the 5th.
What level do I need to start the project? Raider Projects unlock at account level 20, so you need to be at least level 20 before you can open Ascending the Mountain and submit materials stage by stage.
What is the final reward? Completing all four stages awards the Tempest assault rifle and a Hot Air Balloon Charm, with 15 total rewards spread across the four stages including progression items and equipment.
What is the hardest material to get? The Breathtaking Snow Globe (x3 in Stage 3) is the usual bottleneck because it is an Epic trinket that can only be found in Residential, Old World, and Commercial loot — it cannot be crafted or recycled. The rare ARC components (Sentinel Firing Cores, Rocket Thruster, Broken Guidance Systems, Vaporizer Regulators) are next hardest.
Do I have to farm each material separately? No — that is the slowest way. Collect common materials naturally across normal raids and only switch priorities when a rare ARC component drops. Keep Wires, Sensors, and Mechanical Components instead of recycling them and the common counts fill in on their own.
Is Ascending the Mountain connected to Frozen Trail? Yes. The project has you gather the parts Apollo needs to reach the mountain range north of the Tube system, which is exactly where the Frozen Trail expansion takes the game on October 8, 2026. It is the story and gameplay bridge into the next chapter.
