PEAK Ascents Explained: All Levels, Modifiers and Sash Rewards

How unlocking works

• At first only Tenderfoot and Peak are available. Peak is the standard game.
• Finishing a run on Peak unlocks Ascent 1; each completed Ascent unlocks the next.
• Choose the level at the Gate Kiosk in the airport.
• Only one player in the lobby needs the level unlocked. Everyone who wins gets the rewards, even if they skipped earlier levels. A new player who wins an Ascent 5 run unlocks Ascents 1 to 6 at once.
• Custom expeditions do not award sashes or badges.

All levels at a glance

Modifiers stack: each level includes everything above it.

Recommended progression

You can skip levels in a friend’s lobby, but climbing in order teaches one rule at a time:

1. Tenderfoot, to learn the island without fog. Zombies and Scoutmaster Myres do not spawn, so the Undead Encounter and Mentorship badges are unavailable there.
2. Peak. The fog only starts once you climb high enough or enough time passes; do not rush.
3. Ascents 1–3: body rules (falls, hunger, weight). Discipline.
4. Ascents 4–6: logistics (the flare, cold nights, costly climbing). Planning.
5. Ascents 7–8: team rules (Curse, amulets). One weak link can end the run.

Team composition by band

• Peak to Ascent 3. Spread food, healing and gear across everyone so one death does not lose the bag. Give a First Aid Kit or Fortified Milk to the least experienced climber.
• Ascents 4–6. The player least likely to die carries the flare; another carries the Lantern and heat items for the nights. On Ascent 6 the best climber takes the Chain Launcher.
• Ascents 7–8. More scouts means more slots for amulets. On Ascent 7 the strongest players clear their starting Curse first: newer players die more and regain Curse with every statue revive, so someone clean must reach the top.

Items that gain value

Tips per level

Ascents 1–3: fall damage, hunger, weight

Double fall damage punishes the jumps that are free on Peak, so climb down short drops instead of jumping. From Ascent 2, cook and share food at every campfire. From Ascent 3 the +2.5 weight is per item, so a full inventory of small items hurts more than one heavy one; drop what you will not use.

Ascent 4: no flares at the top

The empty flare crate at the Peak on Ascent 4 and up · PEAK Wiki (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The flare crate at the Peak is empty. The Crash Site always has one flare: pick it up on the Shore and keep it safe all the way up. Escaping through Nadir also works without a flare.

Ascent 5: cold nights

Nights add Cold everywhere except the Caldera and the Gloom, where the effect stops. This changes the Mesa trick of crossing the plateau at night: on Ascent 5+ the night is no longer safe either. Huddling and heat sources such as the Alpine hot spring help.

Ascent 6: costly climbing

Climbing burns 40% more stamina. Pitons, ropes and chain launchers become worth their weight, and the luggage types guide shows which boxes hold climbing gear.

Ascent 7: start cursed

Players start with 10 Curse, and an Ancient Statue revive adds 15 instead of 5. The Scout Effigy and checkpoint flags add no Curse, so save effigies for this level. (Before patch 2.0.a, Ascent 7 did not allow revives at all.)

Ascent 8: free the Scoutmaster

The stone scout with all four amulets · PEAK Wiki (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Nadir · PEAK Wiki (CC BY-SA 4.0)

To win, collect all four amulets (Scout’s Generosity, Initiative, Tenacity and Ambition), carry them to the Peak, place them on the stone scout statue behind it, and escape through Nadir. No flare is needed. Players recover 20 Petrify whenever a campfire is lit.

The amulets are spread across the island and their positions are fixed for the day, so scouting them in advance saves a lot of time: today’s amulet locations lists all four by region. Freeing the Scoutmaster also earns the Rule Zero badge.

Planning amulets with the daily map

Each of the first four regions holds one Scout amulet, and which of the four it is changes by island. Check today’s amulets before leaving the beach.

Common mistakes

• Jumping short drops on Ascent 1+ instead of climbing down.
• Forgetting the Crash Site flare, or dropping it near fire: a cooked flare explodes.
• Burning the Lantern early. It lasts 60 seconds of use.
• Relying on statue revives on Ascent 7, at 15 Curse each.
• Treating amulets as dead weight. Their powers help, though using them adds Petrify.

Patch history

For badges you can earn on the way, see the badge list.