Exploring Pendola Pass is the first quest Celeste gives you once the Frozen Trail map opens up. Think of it as an introduction to the new map — it sends you to four different locations across Pendola Pass and gives you a good reason to learn the layout. None of the objectives are in a fixed order, and you can spread them across multiple raids if needed.
Key Takeaways
- Quest giver is Celeste — available once Pendola Pass unlocks after 25 rounds played
- You get 3x Ziplines for free when you accept the quest
- Bring 1 Wire from your stash before you drop in — you need it for the Railyard antenna
- Four objectives: kill 20 ARC enemies, inspect the Observatory console, patch the Railyard antenna, search 3 containers in the Commissary Supermarket
- Objectives can be done in any order and across multiple raids
- Pendola Pass uses a Ballistic Gondola for extraction — not the standard Tube exits
- Rewards: 5,000 XP, 1x Breathtaking Snow Globe (Epic), 1x Osprey I (Rare Sniper Rifle), 1x Medium Shield (Rare)
- Completing this quest unlocks Tracks of the Beast from Shani
How to Unlock Exploring Pendola Pass
This quest only becomes available once Pendola Pass itself unlocks. That happens after you have played 25 rounds in ARC Raiders. Once the map is open, head to Celeste at Speranza and the quest will be available to accept.
When you accept it, Celeste hands you 3x Ziplines as a free supply item. These cover the climbing requirement for the Railyard tower. The one item you need to bring yourself is a Wire — without it, you cannot complete the antenna objective. Check your stash before you drop in. If you do not have one, Wire can be found in Electrical and Mechanical containers on the map, but relying on map loot risks wasting a whole run.
For a broader look at everything Pendola Pass has to offer, our Pendola Pass map guide covers all the key locations, loot zones, and points of interest on the map.
Objective 1 — Search Three Containers in the Commissary Supermarket
The Commissary Supermarket sits centrally on the Pendola Pass map, right beside the Railyard. It is one of the easiest objectives because the building is full of containers and you only need to open three of them.
Head inside and open any combination of cardboard boxes, metal bins, red lockers, or blue plastic trash bins inside the building. Three searches and you are done — you do not need to actually take any loot, and a container that another Raider already emptied still counts toward your total.
One important note: containers on the outer rim or outside the building do not count. You need to be inside the walls. The breachable room on the east side has a row of lockers that you can clear in seconds — that is the fastest way to knock this out.
Watch out for the Shredder that patrols inside the building. It can corner you in the tighter rooms, so keep an exit path in mind as you work through the containers. Kill it or avoid it — your call.
Objective 2 — Patch the Antenna on the Tallest Railyard Tower
The Railyard is on the southeastern side of Pendola Pass. As you approach, look for the tower that rises visibly above everything else in the area — the antenna you need is on its roof. There is no ladder straight to the top, so your climbing tool is required here.
Here is how to get up:
- Keep the tower to your north and circle around to the eastern side of the Railyard
- Use the fixed ladder along the long eastern building to climb onto its roof
- From the roof, face the tower above and fire your Zipline, Snap Hook, or Grappling Hook up to the very top
- Ride up to the roof of the tower
At the top, find the antenna on the western side of the roof. Hold the interact prompt to “Patch Into Antenna.” This uses up your 1 Wire and completes the objective. Be careful coming back down — a fall from this height is lethal.
If you do not have a Snap Hook yet, you can get one for free by completing the Boarding the Frigate quest. Check our Frigate guide and Grappling Hook guide for more on your climbing tool options.
Objective 3 — Inspect the Cielo Sereno Observatory Control Room
The Cielo Sereno Observatory is in the northeastern corner of Pendola Pass. It sits higher up on the mountain, so expect a bit of a climb depending on your spawn. The building has several entry points — use whichever approach lets you avoid open exposure.
Once inside, head toward the southern part of the facility. The control room overlooks the cliffs on the east side. The power console is near the building’s left outer edge — roughly under the “n” in Sereno on your map screen. It is a battery box on a console unit.
Walk up to it and hold interact to accept the “Inspect the Tech” prompt. Your Raider takes a quick (and harmless) electric jolt and the objective clears immediately.
The area has a Bastion patrolling alongside smaller ARC enemies. Unless you specifically want the full loot from it, leave it alone — fighting it risks destroying salvage in the area and costs you time and ammo. Our Ruins and Reverberations guide also covers this observatory in detail if you are running both quests on the same raid.
Objective 4 — Destroy 20 ARC Enemies
This is the most time-consuming objective but the most flexible one. Any ARC enemy counts, on any run. You do not need to hit 20 in a single raid — the counter carries across sessions, so work through the other three objectives and let the kills accumulate naturally.
The best enemies to target are the smaller, weaker types:
- Wasps, Hornets — fast flying units, go down quickly
- Ticks, Fireballs, Fireflies — often spawn in clusters indoors
- Snitches, Poppers, Skulkers — low health, easy picks
The best farming zones are the Railyard, Old Town, and the Cielo Sereno Observatory — all three have high concentrations of lower-tier ARC and are locations you will visit for other objectives anyway. Indoor Ticks and Fireballs tend to cluster together, and a few Seeker Grenades thrown at flying units can knock out several kills at once.
Avoid going out of your way to fight Bullies and Bastions for this count. They deal heavy damage and are not worth the ammo or health cost when there are easier targets everywhere. For a breakdown of the new Pendola Pass ARC enemy types, see our Bully guide and Skulker guide.
Extracting from Pendola Pass
Pendola Pass does not use the standard Tube extraction system. To leave the map, you need to board a Ballistic Gondola. Call one in using a radio beacon, and it will hold up to three Raiders.
The gondola has limited capacity, so be aware that other players may be heading to the same extraction point. Check the area before you walk out into the open to board. Once you extract, head to Speranza and turn in the quest through Celeste’s quest menu.
Exploring Pendola Pass Quest Rewards
Once all four objectives are complete, open the quest menu, speak to Celeste, and hit Claim. You receive:
- 5,000 XP
- 1x Breathtaking Snow Globe (Epic trinket)
- 1x Osprey I (Rare sniper rifle)
- 1x Medium Shield (Rare)
The Osprey I is especially useful on Pendola Pass itself — it is a wide, open map where a long-range weapon pays off against flying ARC and distant threats. The Medium Shield gives you a 70-charge shield with 42.5% damage reduction and only a 5% movement speed penalty — a solid defensive option for harder maps.
What Unlocks After Exploring Pendola Pass
Completing this quest unlocks Tracks of the Beast from Shani. That quest sends you back to Pendola Pass to locate Almatera Station and ping a Bully and Skulker — the two new ARC enemy types introduced with the Frozen Trail update.
This quest also opens up the wider Frozen Trail quest chain. Other Celeste quests running parallel to this chain include our Ruins and Reverberations walkthrough, and for Nomadic Envoy quests on Pendola Pass, our A Path Not Yours walkthrough. The complete ARC Raiders quest list has everything tracked in one place.
Tips for Completing Exploring Pendola Pass
- Bring 1 Wire from your stash — do not rely on finding one in the field. It is a small item to bring and saves you a potential wasted run.
- Do the Commissary containers first — it is the quickest objective and right next to the Railyard tower, so you can chain both in one area visit.
- Do not fight the Bastion at the Observatory unless you want its loot. Interact with the console and move on.
- Spread the 20 ARC kills across runs — kill weaker enemies passively while completing the other objectives. No need to dedicate a whole run to farming kills.
- Gondola extraction is the only way out — do not forget this when you are ready to leave. Tube exits do not work on Pendola Pass.
- The Shredder inside the Commissary can box you in smaller rooms. Stay near doorways when looting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I unlock the Exploring Pendola Pass quest?
The quest becomes available from Celeste once Pendola Pass unlocks, which happens after you have played 25 rounds in ARC Raiders. After that, head to Celeste at the traders in Speranza to accept it.
Do all four objectives need to be done in one raid?
No. The objectives can be completed across multiple separate raids. Your progress saves between runs. The 20 ARC kill count especially can be built up over several sessions naturally while working through the other tasks.
Where do I get a Wire for the Railyard antenna?
Wire can be found in Electrical and Mechanical containers on Pendola Pass and other maps. To be safe, bring one from your stash before you load in. If you have none, check industrial and mechanical loot zones early in your raid and secure one before heading to the Railyard tower.
Where exactly is the power console in the Cielo Sereno Observatory?
It is in the control room on the southern side of the building, near the left outer edge — roughly under the “n” in Sereno if you are looking at the map screen. It is a battery box on a console unit. Interact with it and accept the “Inspect the Tech” prompt to complete the objective.
Do outside containers at the Commissary Supermarket count?
No. Only containers inside the building register for the quest. Make sure you are within the walls when looting. The breachable east-side room with the row of lockers is the fastest way to tick off all three searches.
How do I extract from Pendola Pass?
Pendola Pass uses a Ballistic Gondola system instead of the standard Tube extracts. Use a radio beacon to call one in. The gondola holds up to three Raiders, so arrive early and check the boarding area for other players before exposing yourself.
Grab the game on PlayStation or Xbox, or visit the official ARC Raiders website for the latest news and updates.
