Winding Mountain Shrine

Included within the shrine scope

The following belong to Winding Mountain Shrine’s immediate activity:

Nearby but separate

These places should not be treated as subareas of the shrine:

The sources agree on the shrine’s position relative to Komatsu Forge, Cloud Pass and Fallen Outpost, although individual guides use slightly different directional descriptions. The safest navigation rule is to use the shrine’s torii gates and the broken bridge as the final approach markers rather than relying on a single landmark description.

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Grappling Hook

The Grappling Hook is mandatory. The shrine’s broken bridge and cliff gaps cannot be crossed through ordinary jumping and climbing alone.

Jin receives the Grappling Hook by progressing through the main story tale The Iron Hook. Attempting to reach Winding Mountain Shrine before that point may allow you to find the entrance area, but the traversal route cannot be completed.

Recommended progression

The most practical time to complete the shrine is shortly after obtaining the Grappling Hook. It is close to other northern Tsutsu activities and provides an immediately useful ranged charm. However, there is no confirmed requirement to complete it during a particular Act or before a particular story mission.

Wind guidance

If the relevant exploration technique has been unlocked, the Guiding Wind can be directed towards undiscovered Shinto Shrines. This is useful if the shrine has not yet been revealed on the map. Occupied Mongol Territories can also reveal map question marks as the surrounding region is liberated, although the shrine remains available without being completed at that exact stage.

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1. Find the torii-gate approach

Approach the shrine from the surrounding Tsutsu roads and follow the red torii gates. The gates identify the start of the Shinto Shrine route. Continue until the path reaches the fractured bridge.

The entrance sign identifies the shrine as a sanctuary of Izanagi, the kami associated with creation. The sign is an atmospheric landmark rather than a separate quest objective.

2. Cross the first broken bridge

At the end of the broken bridge, jump towards the visible tree stump on the right and use the Grappling Hook. Pull Jin up onto the overhang.

From there, grapple to the next stump across the gap. Once Jin reaches the opposite side, move towards the low opening and crawl beneath the rock.

3. Follow the first rock passage

Continue through the low tunnel until Jin emerges on a rock shelf. The route then becomes a mixture of small ledge jumps and descending handholds.

Move along the protruding ledges, generally keeping to the right. At one point, drop or lower Jin towards a lower grapple point, then use the ledge below to reach the next section. Collect any visible ground items as you go, but do not mistake these incidental pickups for the shrine’s fixed reward.

4. Crawl through the second narrow passage

After descending, move along the ledge and squeeze through the rock fissure. Grapple across the next gap, then crawl beneath another low section.

This portion is easy to misread because the route repeatedly alternates between:

If Jin appears to be facing a sheer wall with no handholds, look back for a stump or branch rather than trying to force a jump.

5. Climb towards the summit

Continue through the tunnel and around the rock. Use the protruding ledge to gain height, then grapple to the stump above and pull up onto the rocks.

The route includes another short drop and grapple sequence. After attaching to the rock face, pull up and detach towards the lower protruding ledge. Climb onto the overhang above it.

6. Use the final branches and stumps

The final section uses a tree branch to reach a ledge, followed by another stump and a longer grapple transfer. In the longer transfer, remain attached until Jin is aligned with the next stump or landing point.

Once across, use the remaining handholds and the short stairway to reach the summit.

7. Honour the shrine

Interact with the shrine at the summit. The reward sequence grants:

A nearby interaction at the torii-gate approach provides a way to descend from the mountain after completion.

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Charm of Izanagi

The Charm of Izanagi is a ranged-combat charm. When equipped, a successful headshot has a 40% chance to return the arrow. This makes it particularly useful for players who rely on the Half Bow or Longbow and regularly perform headshots from stealth or elevated positions.

The charm does not guarantee ammunition recovery. Its effect is chance-based, so it should be treated as ammunition conservation rather than unlimited arrows.

Wax Wood

The shrine also provides one Wax Wood, used for bow upgrades. Wax Wood is a fixed shrine reward in the detailed walkthrough evidence, not a random drop.

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Progression changes

The shrine’s practical state changes only in straightforward ways:

No verified evidence indicates a missable reward, temporary NPC, story-only alteration, random shrine layout or enemy ambush associated with Winding Mountain Shrine.

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Enemies

There is no verified shrine-specific enemy encounter. The nearby Fallen Outpost is a Mongol Occupied Territory and must be treated as a separate hostile location. Clearing or avoiding that outpost is not the same as completing Winding Mountain Shrine.

Environmental hazards

The game generally places the next grapple point in the intended direction of travel. If the route seems to end, scan above, below and across the gap before backtracking.

Practical traversal tips

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Immediate approach features

The individual bridge, ledges, tunnels, branches and stumps are traversal features rather than separately named map locations. They are included here descriptively, not as invented proper names.

Separate neighbouring locations

The last group contains nearby landmarks or larger regional references. They are not subareas of Winding Mountain Shrine. Sources differ on which nearby landmark is the most useful approach reference, so they should be treated as navigation aids rather than evidence that the shrine encompasses those places.

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From Komatsu Forge

This is the clearest route for players following the shrine’s commonly cited position. One source places the shrine about 290 metres south-south-east of Komatsu Forge.

When clearing the Fallen Outpost

Treat the shrine and outpost as two separate objectives. If the Fallen Outpost is occupied, clear it first only if you want a safer nearby route or map progress. The shrine’s reward is not dependent on liberating the outpost according to the available evidence.

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