How to Enter Northrend’s Inaccessible Zones

The mass majority of Northrend is accessible by traveling on the ground and using flight paths to navigate between cities and quest hubs. Flying is an option to players only who have trained for Cold Weather Flying, available only at level 77 and learned from a trainer in either Storm Peaks, Dalaran, or Sholazar Basin. After being so comfortable flying in Outland, its going to take some time to get off the ground in Northrend!

Although you won’t be able to fly until level 77, you require the skill to properly navigate through the higher level zones in Northrend. Choose which zone you plan to be in when you turn level 77. Questing at level 76 you can get very good experience from doing the first few quests in either Sholazar or The Storm Peaks, which have trainers at the first quest hubs.

Sholazar Basin

This zone is well loved as the most alive place in Northrend, thanks to the protection from the pylons in the zone. Even though you need Cold Weather Flying to access the majority of the zone, you can still enter Sholazar Basin from the ground if you are coming from Borean Tundra. Quests in Sholazar are available to players at level 76, so entering from the south without flying you are still able to get started questing.

Flying makes ease of access and entry to Sholazar much simpler. If you started in the zone at level 76, you will be happy to find your first quest hub in the western region of the zone a new edition of the familiar Nesingwary Safari quests. These will be sure to help you level up to 77 and train Cold Weather Flying before getting into more of the zone’s terrain. Train for Cold Weather Flying at River’s Heart, in the center of the zone.

Some of the quests in Sholazar Basin will also include vehicle mounts. Later in the progression of WotLK Classic, this zone will be heavily occupied by Herbalists and Miners farming for high level materials.

The Storm Peaks

This High Level zone is full of glaciers and jagged mountain peaks, and because of the rough terrain, Cold Weather Flying is essential to access most of the zone with any success. You can start questing from the K3, Northrend’s icy goblin city in the southernmost region of the zone. You’ll find Roxi Ramrocket in the city itself.

The first time that you enter the zone, you can run in from Crystalsong Forest to the south. Once you have trained for Cold Weather Flying, it will be more efficient to fly in over Icecrown or Zul’Drak to access the majority of the areas in the zone which you will be doing quests in, grinding rep, or in the instances and later the Ulduar raid.

“Rental” Mounts from K3

“Honest” Max is another important NPC in Storm Peaks who is also located in K3 because he will loan you a free flying mount if you don’t have one already. Alliance Players will receive Loaned Griffon Reins, while Horde Players receive Loaned Wind Rider Reins.

You still need to meet the level requirement of 77 to be able to benefit from Max’s mounts. These mounts are only able to be used in Icecrown, Sholazar Basin, and Storm Peaks. If you have already trained for Cold Weather Flying, Max will not offer you access to these mounts.

Icecrown

Icecrown is the highest level zone in Northrend, and home to the main endgame Raid of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion – Icecrown Citadel. Gaining access to the zone is achieved by following the Argent Vanguard questline in the Northwest of Crystalsong Forest. When you arrive at the Argent Vanguard, seek out Highlord Tirion Fordring on the highest platform in the camp.

The zone is entirely overrun by high level Scourge, and navigating around the zone for quests will be made much easier with Cold Weather Flying. The general level for starting to quest in Icecrown is 77-78, so you should either already have Cold Weather Flying or surely be saving the gold for the skill! The nearest trainer is Hira Snowdawn on Krasus’ Landing in Dalaran.

Once you obtained a flying mount and are trained in Cold Weather Flying, you can enter into Icecrown from any side by flying over the mountainous and rugged terrain. Be wary of the majority of the infrastructure in the zone, as this Scourge territory. It is not recommended to start questing in Icecrown without flying, as many of the quest hubs require flying capabilities to complete the quests. Some quest hubs are also located on Airships, which require flying for you to be able to access in the first place.