Climb Ev'ry Mountain is an NCR side quest in Fallout: New Vegas.
Quick walkthrough[]
| Side Quest: Climb Ev'ry Mountain | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Speak with Captain Gilles in the NCR camp at Bitter Springs. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach the northwestern-most Great Khan supply cave from Bitter Springs. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Deal with Oscar Velasco. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Kill Oscar. | Speak with Oscar to learn about his past. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pass a 50 Speech skill check to convince Oscar to seek revenge and attack Camp McCarran. | Pass a 50 Speech skill check to convince Oscar to forgo revenge and return to Red Rock Canyon. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reward: Karma loss | Reward: Karma gain Great Khans supply cache key. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Return to Captain Gilles at Bitter Springs. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Reward: 100 XP NCR fame | |||||||||||||||||||||
Detailed walkthrough[]
Finding the sniper[]
The quest is started by traveling to Bitter Springs, located east of the Brotherhood of Steel safehouse along the north shore of Lake Mead; follow the road east of the New Vegas Medical Clinic all the way, where Bitter Springs should be just to the north near the end of the road when it curves north. One tends to encounter deathclaws on both sides of the road when near the Gypsum train yard, so it is advisable for underpowered characters to use Stealth Boys to get past.
The one to talk to is Captain Gilles, the NCR commander in charge of the refugee camp posted at Bitter Springs, located in a tent behind the infirmary up the north-end slope. When speaking with Gilles about the state of the camp, along with resolving issues of low supplies and scarce manpower (triggering No, Not Much), she will also mention that the camp has been suffering nightly attacks from a sniper, already having lost 8 refugees and 3 troopers, and always with a single bullet to the head. She knows the assassin is hiding up in the caves scattered along the cliffs but doesn't have the manpower to send someone to search, which is where the player character comes in.
The quest marker directs the player character to an area slightly northwest of Bitter Springs, almost directly east from Bloodborne cave. The easiest way to reach it is to head up behind the NCR tents until one reaches the second Great Khan supply cave. Facing the entrance, hug the wall left of the cave and head back towards Bitter Springs, along a steep hill. Soon enough one will be able to fall onto a large rock attached to this hill. Get on the rock then continue trying to climb the hill while moving forwards and falling down onto some more rocks. One will reach flat ground after the rock and can head towards the marker. There will be a valley full of some small rocks. Hug the right wall of this valley to get to slim opening in 2 large, gray rocks. Also, upon reaching a rock that has a small tree growing on it, look directly to the north and the opening leading up to the cave should be visible.
Alternatively, an easier way to get to the cave is as follows: Facing west while in the Bitter Springs cemetery, run up the hill, turn north upon reaching the top, and head straight to the cave.
If Bloodborne cave has already been discovered, go east from it and search for a coyote tobacco chew bush. It should be almost on top of the quest marker. Looking up hill, there will see a path going up, this path leads to the cave.
Old ties[]
Inside the cave, at the far end behind a sandbag barricade, an old, dirtied Great Khan named Oscar Velasco will stop the player character after setting a few steps into the cave. Picking hostile dialogue will immediately turn him hostile. One can instead ask if he is the assassin targeting the refugee camp, which causes Oscar to express his hateful regard for them and the painful reminder of what the NCR did to his tribe and his family during the Bitter Springs Massacre, and that he would take his own revenge on them by killing off the troopers and refugees down in the camp. One then has options for a resolution:
- Incite Oscar to attack by threatening him. Killing Oscar will garner Karma gain and Great Khans infamy.
- Persuade Oscar to take a different path. One must pass one of two 50 Speech skill checks to persuade Oscar to call off his campaign against the refugee camp.
- The first option will sway Oscar to change his target to the Army headquarters at Camp McCarran to exact revenge upon the people truly responsible. This option will garner Karma loss and Oscar will leave the cave to head to McCarran where he will attack all NCR members there, most likely getting killed.
- The second option will convince Oscar to let go of his vengeance and return to his tribe at Red Rock Canyon. This will garner Karma gain and Oscar will gift the Great Khans supply cache key which unlocks the doors protecting the Great Khan supply caches that are acquired as part of No, Not Much.
If one spoke to Oscar, then returned to Captain Gilles and told her about him, then returned to Oscar again and failed either 50 Speech check, there is an option to tell Oscar that you promised the captain to put an end to the attacks. Oscar will say that the player must kill him to stop the attacks and asks why he should even let the player go since they could inform the NCR of his location. Achieving a peaceful end this way will then require passing a 25 Speech skill check to either truth or lie that they will not reveal Oscar's location.
After resolving the matter of the camp attacks, return to Bitter Springs and talk to Gilles again, completing the quest and earning 100 XP and NCR fame.
Quest stages[]
Notes[]
- The small plateau outside of Oscar's cave serves as a good view of the northern end of the map and New Vegas.
- If one is wearing NCR attire, Brotherhood of Steel attire or has Boone as an active companion, Oscar will be immediately hostile and attack upon entering the cave. It is advisable to wear non-faction gear and have Boone wait outside the cave, likely all the way back at Bitter Springs if one intends to complete the peaceful route as Oscar will attack him upon leaving the cave.
Behind the scenes[]
The quest name is a reference to the 1959 song of the same name recorded for the film The Sound of Music.
Bugs[]
Even if the player character has been to the cave on top of the mountain and completed the quest, they get the reward, but the quest will still be active in the Pip-boy as if they have not completed it. Completing the quest No, Not Much should open up Captain Gilles' dialogue tree about Oscar, even if one previously spoke to her and the option to tell her about Oscar was not available. [verified]- Successfully passing the Speech check of 25 where Oscar asks why he should allow the player character to leave alive gives 25 XP for telling the truth or lying. This Speech check can be repeated an unlimited number of times. [verified]
