You’re probably standing in the middle of a blizzard, freezing to death, wondering why on earth your attacks aren't doing anything to those giant floating ice crystals. I've been there. It’s frustrating. Dragonspine is easily the most vertical, punishing area in Genshin Impact, and the quest "In the Mountains" is the literal peak of that difficulty. To progress, you have to thaw all the shards out, which is way easier said than done when your "Sheer Cold" meter is ticking toward zero and a Frostarm Lawachurl is trying to turn you into a pancake.
Dragonspine isn't like Mondstadt. You can't just throw Diluc’s bird at everything and hope it melts. These shards are ancient, stubborn, and magically protected.
The First Hurdle: Understanding Scarlet Quartz
Most players make the mistake of thinking Pyro characters are the key. They aren't. While a good fire user helps keep you warm at torches, the only way to actually damage the shards is by using Scarlet Quartz. These are those glowing red rocks scattered around the environment.
Here is how it basically works: you break the red rock, pick up the energy (it floats around you like a little red orb), and then you hit the shard. One hit per Quartz. You usually need four hits per shard. If you miss your shot or get distracted by a stray Slime and waste the energy, you have to wait for the Quartz to respawn. It’s a tedious dance, but once you get the rhythm, it's manageable.
The Frostbearing Tree Shard
The first one is almost a tutorial, but people still get tripped up because of the sheer chaos of the environment. Located at the Snow-Covered Path, this is the shard that eventually becomes the Frostbearing Tree.
You’ll find the Scarlet Quartz nodes nearby. Honestly, this one is just a warm-up. You grab the quartz, whack the ice, and repeat. The real challenge starts when the game stops holding your hand and sends you into the caves and the outskirts.
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The Starglow Cavern Shard: The Real Nightmare
If you ask any veteran player which part of "In the Mountains" they hated most, they’ll say the cavern. It’s tucked away at the bottom of a deep pit. When you get down there, you’ll see the shard behind a force field. To drop that field, you have to complete a combat challenge.
It's a timed trial.
You have to fight several waves of Cryo Hilichurls and Cryo Abyss Mages. The floor is mostly water. You will get frozen. It’s almost a guarantee. To stay sane, I highly recommend bringing a shielder like Zhongli if you have him, or even Noelle. You need to prevent those stuns. Once the trial is over, the barrier drops, and you can access the Scarlet Quartz nodes hidden around the perimeter of the lake to finally thaw all the shards out in this section. Don't forget the one hidden behind some breakable rocks at the back of the cave; people always miss that one and spend ten minutes wandering around.
The Entombed City Outskirts Puzzle
This one requires a bit of brainpower. You’ll find a series of Cryo monuments and a Warming Seelie that moves in a specific pattern. You have to follow the Seelie and activate the monuments in the exact order it shows you.
Get it wrong? You fight some ruin guards. Get it right? The ice in the center of the arena thaws, and you drop down into a cellar.
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Down here, it’s the same Scarlet Quartz routine. However, there’s a catch. One of the Quartz nodes is tucked behind a gate that requires you to guide two Seelies to their pedestals. One is out in the open, but the other is buried under a pile of snow. Use a Pyro skill on the snow mounds nearby to find it. Once you have all the Quartz, hit the shard, and you're two-thirds of the way there.
Climbing to the Summit: Skyfrost Nail
After you've dealt with the three initial locations, you have to go to the very top. This is the Skyfrost Nail. It’s breathtaking, literally, because the Sheer Cold mechanic is at its most aggressive here.
The shards are floating.
This part feels like a platformer. You have to climb up the spiraling ruins, grab Scarlet Quartz, and then—this is the trick—use an archer. Characters like Amber or Yoimiya are lifesavers here. You can stand on a ledge, grab the Quartz, and fire a charged shot at the floating shards in the distance. It saves you a ton of climbing.
What People Get Wrong at the Peak
- Forgetting the Heat: You get so focused on the shards that you forget to stand near the heaters. I've seen dozens of players die to Sheer Cold while the shard had like 5% health left.
- The "Respawn" Bug Myth: Some people think the Scarlet Quartz stops spawning. It doesn't. If it’s not appearing, it’s usually because there’s still a tiny bit of "Quartz energy" lingering on another character or you haven't fully triggered the next phase of the fight.
- Gliding Failures: There are Anemo currents designed to help you reach the higher Quartz nodes. Use them. Don't try to brute-force climb the icy walls; you'll run out of stamina and fall.
Why This Quest Still Matters in 2026
Even with all the new regions like Fontaine and Natlan, Dragonspine remains a core milestone for any account. You can't access the Peak of Vindagnyr domain without finishing this. That domain is where you farm the Blizzard Strayer set—still the absolute best-in-slot for Cryo DPS characters like Ayaka or Ganyu. Without those artifacts, your Cryo team's damage will honestly be mediocre.
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Beyond the gear, there’s the lore. This quest explains why Dragonspine is a frozen wasteland. It’s tied to the "Sky Nails" dropped by Celestia, a recurring theme that we’re seeing more of as the main story of Genshin Impact wraps up.
Essential Preparation Checklist
Before you head back up into the cold, make sure your party isn't just a bunch of level 40s you're trying to friendship-level.
- Craft Goulash: This is a non-negotiable. The recipe is from the "Ah, Fresh Meat!" quest in Dragonspine. It slows down the rate of Sheer Cold accumulation. It’s the difference between panicking and actually playing the game.
- Bring a Healer: Barbara is okay, but she wets your character, which gets you frozen. Bennett is the king here. He heals, he buffs, and he provides Pyro resonance.
- The "Compass" Trick: While the Treasure Compass doesn't work well here, the Seelies always lead to something important. If you’re lost, look for a Seelie.
Actionable Next Steps
To finally finish this quest and unlock the top of the mountain, follow these specific steps:
- Teleport to the Starglow Cavern first if you haven't done the combat trial. It’s the hardest part, so get it out of the way while your patience is fresh.
- Switch to an Archer. Even if you don't main them, having someone like Amber or Tighnari just to proc the Scarlet Quartz hits from a distance will save you twenty minutes of falling off cliffs.
- Look Up. At the Skyfrost Nail, the last few hits require you to be higher up than the shard itself. Follow the floating debris.
- Check your Quest Log. Make sure "In the Mountains" is actually tracked so the yellow waypoints help guide you through the verticality of the cavern systems.
Once the final shard is destroyed, the pillar will reform and fly into the sky. This opens up the snowy peak, gives you access to the domain, and rewards you with a hefty amount of Primogems. It’s a rite of passage. Good luck, and stay warm.