Pilgrim / Voyageur / Stalker Map
Interloper / Misery Map
Interloper and Misery strip away safety nets. This map is for route planning, rope management, and avoiding assumptions that worked on lower difficulties.
Click the map to enlarge, or download it and save it for later — ideally before a missed rope climb turns into a very short expedition.
Carter Hydro Dam
Difficulty Rating: Intermediate
Best For: Industrial scavengers, water gathers
Recommended Base: None—use entrance rooms briefly
Welcome to the Powerhouse of Perils
Once an energy hub, now a frozen structure suspended in silence. Carter Hydro Dam doesn’t feel wild — it feels mechanical. Heavy. Echoing. Every corridor carries the sense that something used to work here, and now it doesn’t.
The interior itself is free of wildlife, which is almost comforting at first. No wolves pacing stairwells. No bear rounding a corner. The threat inside is different. It’s disorientation. Multi-level walkways, looping corridors, stairwells that double back. It’s easy to lose track of where you are if you rush.
Outside the entrances is another matter. A bear frequently patrols near the dam exterior, turning what should be a simple approach into a careful calculation. The lower spillway adds its own risk with thin ice and flowing water — distraction there can cost condition quickly.
Loot potential is strong if you search deliberately. The Control Room often rewards patience with tools and repair kits. Storage sheds can provide food and clothing. The Generator Bay offers scrap metal and access to a workbench, making it one of the most practically useful areas in the structure.
The Control Room serves as the closest thing to a temporary staging point. Enclosed, relatively warm, and centrally located. Upper office areas provide vantage but sit farther from the core supplies.
Carter Hydro Dam connects Mystery Lake to Pleasant Valley, but it isn’t just a corridor. It’s an industrial maze with real reward potential. Enter with a clear route in mind. Search methodically. Exit before fatigue turns confusion into risk.
Winding River
Welcome to the Backdoor
Winding River doesn’t demand attention. It narrows it.
This corridor links Carter Hydro Dam to Pleasant Valley, and it feels exactly like that — a crossing rather than a destination. The path hugs water and cliff faces, forcing you into a linear route with little room for improvisation.
Thin ice hides beneath snow. Currents pull harder than they appear. Steep embankments invite sprains at awkward moments. And when a blizzard rolls in, the narrow route becomes a white corridor with no margin for error.
The Emergency Cache Cabin provides brief relief — basic food, clothing spawns, and a moment to regroup. It’s not a base. It’s a pause. Collapsed bridge pockets and trolley wrecks sometimes yield tools or scrap metal, but none of it justifies lingering longer than necessary.
Winding River is best treated as a crossing. Pack light, carry a bedroll and reliable firestarter, and move with intention. The longer you stay, the more the weather decides the outcome for you.
This is the backdoor between regions. Use it efficiently, and it feels manageable. Hesitate, and it reminds you that even short routes can punish complacency.
Survivor Incognito 