Bonechill Passage is a short, freezing cave that serves as the designed route up to Ancient’s Ascent, the dragon lair high above. Its floor is littered with the bones of animals and travellers who wandered too far, which tells you most of what you need to know about the welcome. Still, it is quick to get through and drops two skill books along the way.
What you’ll find
- Below the entrance, by the foot of a waterfall: a shack with two burnt corpses outside. Inside lies a note to the authorities about dragon sightings – the corpses suggest the authorities were too late.
- A silver ore vein at the bottom of the steps leading up to the stone arch at the cave mouth, on the right just before two trees.
- An ice wraith right inside the entrance.
- A skeleton and a knapsack with minor loot straight ahead.
- An ice bridge guarded by a frost troll, with lootable skeletons underneath.
- Other possible residents: ice wolves, snow bears and regular wolves.
Quests
- Kill the Dragon – when Esbern sends you after the dragon of Ancient’s Ascent, the marker points here.
- Animal Extermination – the cave is a possible target for Aela the Huntress‘s job.
Notable items
- 2920, vol 06 – Mid Year – Heavy Armor skill book next to the skeleton near the entrance.
- Purloined Shadows – Pickpocket skill book under the bed in the shack outside.
- Knapsack with random items.
- Silver ore vein outside.
Tips
Bring fire. Ice wraiths and frost trolls both hate it, and the troll on the ice bridge is the real fight here – keep your distance and don’t let it shove you off the edge. Grab some ice wraith teeth while you’re at it.
Remember that the cave is the way up, not the destination. Once through, you come out near the dragon’s roost at Ancient’s Ascent, so heal up and check your gear before you step outside. Note that the Clairvoyance trail from outside won’t trace a neat path through the cave – it only points you in the general direction.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Ancient’s Ascent, Greywater Grotto, Ancestor Glade, Pinewatch, Helgen.
Location data (hold, map position, editor ID) read from the Skyrim game files; details checked against community wiki articles and summarised in our own words.