Elden Ring: How To Solve The Invisible Bridge Puzzle Easily

Jam-packed with near-impossible bosses, hidden treasures, and a myriad of awful ways to die, FromSoftware's "Elden Ring” is still going strong. Considering the massive size of the map and the fact that it has secrets tucked away in nearly every square inch, it's no surprise that players are still discovering new tricks and tips to help them navigate the Lands Between — especially when the in-game hints can be obscure and somewhat nonsensical.

The path to the Heretical Rise tower, for instance, is magically sealed and can only be accessed by solving a puzzle. The statue near the front entrance claims, "Falling snow marks something unseen," with nothing else forthcoming. A thorough examination of the surrounding area reveals a broken bridge leading to the tower across a ravine. One would think that an invisible pathway marked by the snow might be the answer, but no: The constant snow in the area simply falls through any path that might exist.

The solution? Walking very, very slowly across the gap will shroud the player's feet in a frosty mist that shows a very small portion of the safe trajectory ahead. That's not quite what anyone would call "falling snow," and it's actually fairly hard to see against the frozen landscape. No wonder players have come up with much easier, safer, and faster ways of reaching the tower. Here's how to solve the invisible bridge puzzle at Heretical Rise without falling off a hundred times.

First off, the closest site of grace to the starting point of the bridge is Freezing Lake. The bridge is a straight-ahead path until about two-thirds of the way to the tower, at which point you'll need to start navigating around a sharp left turn and upward curve. 

Thankfully, the bridge itself has particle collision despite being invisible. The tried and true method is to chuck Rainbow Stones a little ahead to test the path as well as mark it; shooting arrows into the side works as well. However, these options can get quite costly item-wise, depending on how cautious you are. A better method, noted by Eeddit user second_trainer, is to use the Hoarfrost Stomp ability. The outgoing cone of ice spikes from this skill quite clearly marks the outline of the bridge, showing the safe path much farther ahead than the default mist. Better yet, Hoarfrost Stomp is an Ash of War ability that only consumes stamina: a very renewable resource outside of combat regardless of your build.

It's somewhat ironic that the most efficient method to bypass the puzzle is closer to the original hint (falling snow) than the actual answer, of course. You can pick up the Hoarfrost Stomp Ash of War in the area around Caria Manor — but if all else fails, you could also simply switch to online mode and look for the blood spatters left by unlucky players. Just don't forget to leave a message thanking them for their sacrifice!