LEVEL 11:  TIBETAN FOOTHILLS

Kills: 28  Items: 19 (23)*  plus 2 keys and 3 secrets

The level begins with a movie:  Now that she's got the Seraph, Lara uses a floatation device to return to the surface, then steals Bartoli's seaplane and high-tails it to Tibet.  (Notice Lara's expression as she spies the cozy leather bomber jacket on the co-pilot's seat.  This look alone is worth the price of the game!)  Unfortunately, technical difficulties prevent her from landing at the front door of the Barkhang monastery and she crashes in the Himalayan foothills nearby.

Kill the eagle then jump up to the opening on the right.  Below is a long ramp with snowballs at the top.  Slide down, run and jump over the first wave of snow, then duck into an alcove to the left to avoid the second wave.  When the coast is clear, continue to where the snowballs originated and pull up into a cave.

Ahead is a wall of ice.  Run up the ramp and jump through the ice.  You'll start to slide, so jump and grab the wall ahead.  (Notice the texture of the wall.  There are a number of these ice ladders coming up.  You can identify them by this texture.)  Climb to the top right and traverse until you're over the doorway.  Drop down and follow this passage to emerge above a small lake.  Note the hut and snowmobile in the distance.  This is where you're headed, but first....

Turn around then drop and hang from the ledge.  Drop to the ledge below.  Hang and drop again to a ledge with a doorway.  (If at any time you fall in the water and don't want to re-start, there's a small snowy ledge you can climb to from the water.  An ice ladder there will get you back up to the ledge above this doorway.)  Follow the passageway to a gap with icicles on the ceiling opposite.  Jump into the wate and pull up, letting the icicles fall before going on.  When you reach another opening over the water, head to the right and climb over the rocks into a passageway.  You'll come to a fork.  Going forward is a dead-end, so head left.  Slide down a slope to a room with a pond and more icicles.  Stay close to the left wall and walk forward slowly so the icicles fall in front of you.  Continue until you come out above the water again.

Make your way over to the large med-pack:  Do a running jump to the flat block beyond the angled one to the left.  Drop down to the flat block below and from there, run, jump and grab the ledge where the med-pack is.  An eagle will try and interfere at some point.  From the block with the med-pack, jump diagonally to the snowy ledge then climb up the snow to the top.  You'll need to kill another eagle on the way up.

Head for the hut and take out the 2 guys with guns who try and stop you.  Take their large med-pack and 2 sets of auto pistol clips.  Go up to the smaller of two gates on the right and take SECRET #1, the Silver Dragon.  Now steal the snowmobile and head into the cave that has no gate.  (Note that the snowmobile controls are virtually identical to those for the motor boat.  You'll need turbo/Action key to get over larger gaps.)

A gunman gets in your way, so run him over.  Pick up his shotgun shells before moving on.  Continue to a large room with a number of ramps.  At the far end is a cave opening barred by two large blocks of ice.  You'll have an easier time going on if you move those first.  Enter the cave through a smaller opening on the left.  Kill the 2 leopards lurking there, then move the blocks out of the opening.

Return to the snowmobile and get it into position to jump into the cave by following the series of ramps:  Go to the center of the room, then through an opening between two walls on the right.  Turn left to get to the bottom of the first ramp.  From here, follow the ramps and walls around perimeter of the room counter-clockwise until you're able to jump the snowmobile into the big cave opening. (I recommend saving each time you make a successful jump, since the maneuvering is a bit tricky and you'll have to start all over if you miss a jump.)

Some tips:  You may need to hold down walk at times to make the snowmobile gow slower and action to make it go faster.  You can also press reverse briefly to stop it from sliding off an edge from momentum.

Continue on, jumping the next large gap using the ramps on the left.  Follow the left passage until you come to a chasm with two openings ahead, separated by a stone pillar.  Get off the snowmobile and follow the right wall on foot.  (You can do this on the snowmobile, but it's easier walking.)  Pick up 2 pairs of grenades lying on the ground near an ice ladder.  Climb up the ladder and pull a switch to open a gate ahead.  2 bad guys come out, so climb down and take care of them.  Take their small med-pack and M-16 clips before getting back on your snowmobile.

Continue, following the left wall, across the gap and through the gate you just opened.  Cross the high, narrow bridge, mowing down the bad guy who stands in your way and his 2 buddies in the next area.  The next gap is very wide; you'll definitely need turbo to jump it.

When you get to the other side, climb off the snowmobile and proceed on foot.  Walk out toward the right side of the chasm to trigger the avalanche.  Jump to the white area, slide down and grab the edge, then drop and grab the cave opening below.  Pull up into the cave and take the DRAWBRIDGE KEY.  Head through the passage below to a wall of ice.  Shoot the thug on the other side.  Go into the next room, trip the icicle trap, then pull the switch to open the gate above.

Enter the cavern ahead.  (Above is the wide gap you jumped earlier.)  In the pit below are 2 pairs of grenades.  3 leopards emerge when you enter the pit, so quickly jump back up to the snowy ledge above and shoot them from here.  Cross the cavern floor and climb the ice ladder on the other side. At the top is SECRET #2, the Jade Dragon.  2 leopards appear on the ramp opposite.  Kill them from here, so they don't ambush you when you return this way later.  Climb back down the ladder and up the ladder on the other side to the top.

Get back on the snowmobile and cross the cave, taking care to avoid any remaining snowballs.  Continue to the next large cave.  Use the key you found to raise the drawbridge.  Then cross it on foot.  Run/jump across the flat area to the right, avoiding the avalanche.  You'll hear a huge rumbling as the snowy wall gives way in the previous area, blocking the way you came.  Continue ahead and to the left to a deep chasm.  Jump to the ledge on the left, slide and grab the edge, then traverse to the other side.  Continue to emerge again in the room with the bridge.

At the foot of the huge snow bank is the HUT KEY.  As you approach it, a baddie on a snowmobile comes in through the same door you entered.  Shoot him, while dodging like mad.  You can climb up on the snow to the right of the key and shoot at him from there.  Just be sure to stand toward the front of the block.  He can drive over the snow behind you, but he can't turn sharply enough to run you over.  When he's finally dead, take the RED snowmobile (his is very cool with its guns and all, but it doesn't have the turbo feature) and head back to the hut.

You'll have to stop at the snowy barrier just past the cave with all the ramps and walk the rest of the way.  Unlock the hut and take the 2 small med-packs, 2 sets of Uzi clips and 2 sets of M-16 clips lying on the floor before pulling the switch.  This opens the cave gate, and 2 thugs with guns rush out.  When you've killed them, take their large med-pack and auto pistol clips, and head into the cave.

Continue to a large open area where you'll meet another guy on a snowmobile.  You can shoot him while dodging or run immediately to the back of the snowy block, where you can climb up to relative safety.  Once the bad guy is dead, continue until you come to a deep chasm.  From the top you can see the Gold Dragon down in a small opening.  Jump and grab the left ledge, traverse across and take the ice ladder down.  As soon as you drop to the ground, jump to the side to avoid the rolling snowballs.  Repeat for a second wave of snow, then take the dragon, SECRET #3 (along with 4 sets of Uzi clips if you've found all three secrets).  Climb back up and keep going.

When you reach the next large opening, 2 guys on snowmobiles will be waiting below.  Immediately climb on the rock wall to the right and shoot them from there before climbing down.  (The M-16 works nicely for targeting, but you can also take your time and use the pistols.)  Proceed down the hill to the wall, where you'll find a moveable block.  Push it twice to enter a cave where 2 more thugs are waiting.  Another bad guy lurks in the cavern below, on a ledge to the right.  Take him out before descending.

To get down to the bottom, you can take any of several routes:  (1) First climb over the rocks on the left.  Make sure you've got full health, then hang and drop to the ledge below.  From the wide snowy ledge you can dive into the water or (2) climb down the rocks on the left.  (The sniper isn't carrying anything, so you needn't bother going across to the other cave.)  Or, (3), you can drive one of the snowmobiles over the edge and Lara will jump off landing safely in the water.  (Thanks to various posters to the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup for #3.)  In any case, you're aiming for a small tunnel in the far right corner.  Follow this to the next level.

 
LEVEL 12:  BARKHANG MONASTERY

Kills: 28  Items: 24 (28)*  plus 4 keys, 2 gemstones, 5 prayer wheels and 3 secrets

(Note:  The "kills" total is the maximum number of henchmen and crows-the only two enemies here.  However, your total will probably be substantially less.  Here's why:  It is VERY IMPORTANT that you never harm any of the monks.  If you act respectfully, they will not interfere with your exploration and will even help you fight Bartoli's henchmen.  However, if you shoot a monk, accidentally or on purpose, the entire brotherhood will dog you for the rest of the level, making your job much more difficult than it has to be.  If you find yourself in the middle of a fight between the cult members and the monks, back off until the fight is over.  Then, if there are any cult guys left, you can take care of them and grab any goodies left over.)

Follow the tunnel to the steps in front of the monastery.  You'll arrive to see 2 thugs in a melee with several monks.  In this case, when the monks have dispatched the baddies, you can pick up a small med-pack, auto pistol clips and 2 sets of Uzi clips.

The main doors to the monastery are locked, but you can get in through a window.  Climb the ladder opposite the steps, killing a crow when you get to the top.  Jump diagonally to a ledge to the right of the ladder, then jump across to another ledge.  Cross the stone ledge to the rock wall.  Kill 2 more crows that try and mess up Lara's hairdo.  On the other side of the rocks, turn so the monastery window is on your left and jump to the angled block above the crevice.  Slide and grab, release and grab the crevice below.  Traverse left until you can pull up.  Shoot out a window and enter a library.

Go through the library to a hallway.  At the far end are the main hall doors, which are locked.  On the right is a room with rolling blades.  Skip this for now.  Instead enter the door on the left.  As you go in, a monk will rush past you.  Follow him to the room across from the library.  He'll begin to fight with one of Bartoli's thugs.  Another thug will enter through the window when you come into the room.  The monks may kill both of the bad guys, but you can assist if necessary.  When they're dead, take some auto pistol clips, small med-pack and 2 sets of Uzi clips.  Also pick up the grenades on the balcony outside.  Note the locked strong room door.  You'll be getting the key shortly.

Return to the room across the hall and climb the ladder to a walkway above the main hall.  Follow the walkway to retrieve the MAIN HALL KEY.  Then continue along the walkway to the far right.  Step down into a small room.  Move to the doorway, then side flip to avoid a rolling boulder.  Follow the ramp up to a T.  Step into the hallway, then immediately step back to avoid another boulder.  Pick up the flares and head down and to the right.  Climb down a long ladder, find a moveable block and push it once.  (This will allow you to move the block to exit from another room later on.)

Return to the top of the ladder and follow the ramps up to a room with a pool.  Dive in, swimming along the right wall, then the far wall, to avoid the strong current that sucks you down to the grate at the bottom.  Head for a small opening on the far wall where you can surface.  From here, drop into a deep well.  Follow the dark passageway, timing runs through the 3 clamping metal doors.  Climb the ladder to emerge in a room where you'll meet 2 more thugs.  The monk may kill one of them for you, but you'll probably have to finish the job.

When the coast is clear, take a small med-pack from one of the bodies, then jump up the tiered altar to get the first PRAYER WHEEL of 5.  When you take it, the burners will light.  If you stand above and between any two of the burners, you can do 2 standing jumps  to the bottom without catching fire.  Return to the next room, where you entered, and find a pair of moveable blocks.  If you moved the block earlier, you can pull the one on the right out to reveal a passageway out.  Return to the main hall doors and unlock them with the key.

As you cross the main hall, 3 thugs enter behind you.  The monks will take care of them.  When they're dead, take a small and large med-pack plus some auto pistol clips.  Enter the first door on the right, which is a reading room.  A hallway leads away from here.  Jump over the first of three swinging blades and enter the door on the left.  Take the STRONG ROOM KEY and return to the reading room, then the main hall.  (The room past the other two blades gives you a glimpse of the 2 gemstones you'll need to get later, but is actually a dead-end.)

Go back to the strong room (across from the library where you entered the building) and unlock the door.  Inside is the ROOFTOPS KEY.  Take this and head for the room with the rolling blades.  Time a run past them and use the key to unlock the door to the roof.  Go up the stairs and right through the arch with the golden animals.  At the end of this corridor is a switch to turn off the burners.  It is timed but not particularly fast, so pull it, hurry to the burners, then do a series of standing jumps over them

Make a left down into a courtyard with several golden trapdoors.  As you enter 2 thugs will emerge behind you and start fighting with the monks.  Finish them off if the monks fail, and take a small med-pack and some Uzi clips.  Climb the ladder on the right side of the courtyard to retrieve some M-16 clips.  Return to the courtyard and pull the switch to open two of the trapdoors.  Drop into the room below, shoot out a window and take the 2 GEMSTONES.  On the other side of this room is a switch, which opens the other trapdoor so you can climb out.

Now head up the steps and to the left to a room with a large golden door shaped like a star.  Opposite is a niche in the wall between two gold animal statues.  Place one of the gemstones in this niche to open the star door.  Pull out the moveable block behind it to get the second PRAYER WHEEL.

Return to the main hall, cross to the right side of the huge Buddha, and go down the stairs.  Enter the hallway on the right and go into the first door on the right.  This is a storage room with several moveable crates.  Pull the first crate on the left out toward the barrels.  Go behind it where the barrels are and push the crate next to the doorway.  Pull the second crate out to where the first was originally.  Now, pull the first crate out to block the door.  Pick up some auto pistol clips from the floor.  Climb on the crates and pull the top left one out onto the one you moved.  Underneath are 2 bunches of harpoons-just what you need now that you're 500 miles from the nearest ocean.  ;-)

Continue to the room beyond the storage room.  Jump over the gold trapdoor-there's nothing down there-and continue to a T in the passage.  Go left and continue to a stairway on the left.  As you go up, 4 thugs with guns appear in the area below.  Shoot out the window and jump down into the exercise yard below.  Use the switch there to open the door and let the monks in to fight the bad guys.  Finish the job if necessary and grab the leftovers:  small and large med-packs, plus some shotgun shells.

Cross the exercise yard and climb a series of ladders to the top of the tower, where you'll find the third PRAYER WHEEL.

Return to the storage room, pull out the crate so you can exit, and follow the hall to the right.  As you cross the room at the end of the hall, you'll hear gunfire behind you in the hallway.  The monks are fighting with 2 thugs.  Assist if necessary, then take the thugs' Uzi clips and grenades.

Continue to a room with a series of traps:  burners, swinging hemispheres with spikes on them, and rolling blades.  It looks awful, but you can take it in parts, saving between each.  First, stand on one side of the opening or the other so you'll only have to deal with one of the spiked hemispheres at a time.  Approach the flame.  It will go out, giving you a moment to time a run into the pit below the swinging spikes.  Go underneath as far as you can, then turn around and pull up on the ledge.  Stay close to the edge to avoid the swinging spikes.  When the rolling blade passes moving left, jump to the burner, which will go out just long enough for you to do a careful run into the pit to avoid the spikes.  Continue underneath as far as you can then turn and pull up on the right.  Now you can run past the rolling blade into the doorway.

Before going into the next room, take a little detour to grab a secret.  Turn around and make a series of runs past the rolling blade into the passageway to the right.  There are alcoves you can duck into to avoid the blade.  At the end of the passageway on the left is a doorway.  Beyond this are 2 sets of clamping doors, and beyond these, SECRET #1, the Jade Dragon.

Return to the room beyond the blade and take the TRAPDOOR KEY.  Follow the hallway up and to the left, then slide down into a large pool.  In the far wall, near the left corner, is a small underwater passageway hiding SECRET #2, the Silver Dragon.  Climb out of the water and exit into the hallway across from the storage room.

Return to the main hall and use the key to open the gold trapdoor.  Follow the passage below and climb out in a courtyard.  Go to the right and follow the canyon to a large pillar.  On the far side of it is an opening with a ladder.  Climb up to the landing and go to the right until you come to a wooden bridge.  A crow gets in your way on this side and a thug with a gun shoots from across the bridge.  Kill them both, cross the bridge, take the thug's M-16 clips and continue on.

2 more crows attack when you reach a small building.  Take care of them, then climb up the rocks on the right.  Do a running jump to grab the stone ledge, then another running jump from there to grab the roof of the building.  Drop down into the room below to get the fourth PRAYER WHEEL.  Pull the switch to open the door.  As you exit, you'll see a monk in combat with another thug.  When the thug is dead, take his shotgun shells and return to the monastery.  You'll meet 2 more bad guys on the way, whom you'll probably need to kill yourself.

Back at the courtyard, use the switch to open the big doors back into the main hall.  2 more of Bartolli's henchmen  have invaded and are fighting the monks inside.  Once they're out of the way, cross the hall and enter the second door on the right side (facing the statue).  Climb the ladder and follow the hallway to an opening above the Buddha.  Do a running jump to grab the statue's elbow (?).  Pull up and climb onto the hand.  From there, do a running jump to grab the head.  Cross the head, then jump to the other hand and from there, do a standing jump to grab the alcove above.  Place the second gemstone in the niche to open a trapdoor in the room underneath the statue.

Jump back to the hand, drop down to the shoulder, drop and hang from the chest and finally drop into the statue's lap.  Before going down to the floor, go around to the back of the statue where you'll find a small alcove concealing SECRET #3, the Gold Dragon (and 4 sets of M-16 clips if you've located all secrets).

Go to the bottom front of the statue, enter the room and drop through the trapdoor.  Follow the passage to a room with pipes and bamboo-barred windows.  Flip the switch to open the door with the face on it.  Enter the room beyond and push the block in front of the water to prevent the pool below from refilling.  Return to the pipe room, then slide down the sluice backwards, hang and drop into the now-dry pool below.  Find the moveable block in the raised alcove and push it aside to reveal the fifth PRAYER WHEEL.  Climb the ladder and return to the main hall.

Take your finds to the room to the left and behind the Buddha.  Place the 5 prayer wheels where they belong to open the big doors.  Enter and put the Seraph in place to open the secret entrance to the Catacombs.


LEVEL 13:  CATACOMBS OF THE TALION

Kills: 33  Items: 29 (33)*  plus 2 Tibetan masks and 3 secrets

Jump down on either side of the stairs and walk to the opening to avoid the falling icicles.  In the next room, along the left wall, is a crevice.  Grab it and traverse to the right until you can pull up.  Drop down behind the wall to find some flares and SECRET #1, the Silver Dragon.  Return the way you came.  Turn and slide down the slope backwards, grab the edge, pull up and back flip onto the platform behind.  From here you can kill the Yeti lurking below.  Carefully trip the icicles above the stairs to your right now, note the door at the bottom, then return to the top of the stairs.  Drop down into the pit where the dead Yeti is.  Pull the switch to open the door above and let a leopard in.  Return to the top via the ladder.  Repeat the slide/back flip to the platform, kill the leopard and proceed down the stairs.

As you go down the stairs into the large room, 2 thugs with guns will emerge at the top of the stairs behind you.  Kill them and take their small med-pack, auto pistol clips and 2 sets of Uzi clips.  Cross the room and approach the small doorway on the far right, beyond the pool.  Immediately roll and take out the 2 leopards that charge you from behind.  Go through the small door and down the ramp to get a glimpse of what lies ahead, as well as a small med-pack before returning to the big room.

Above is a long ramp with snowballs at the top.  Climb the first flight of stairs and jump to the base of the ramp.  Run up the ramp to trip the snowballs, then side flip into the pool.  Climb down and go to the rocks near the small opening where you killed the leopards.  Go around the back to climb up.  Do a running jump to the snow-covered platform opposite, then walk to the broken tiles with spikes below.  Run across the tiles and press Action to grab the ladder as the floor falls away below.  Climb to the top of the ladder and back flip to land on the platform behind you.  Jump to the top of the ramp and pull the switch to raise the cage opposite.  Slide down the ramp.  Climb up to the cage and take the TIBETAN MASK.  Doing this causes the trapdoor at the bottom of the pool to open.

Climb down, drop into the pool, then through the trapdoor.  Follow the passageway, jumping over the trench with spikes.  Beyond is a gate, which you can open using the mask.

At the top of the hill beyond are a bunch of those pesky snowballs.  To complicate things, a pack of leopards will attack as soon as you enter the area.  Ready weapons (I like the shotgun for leopards, but take your pick), then run up the ramp and side jump to the right to avoid the snowballs.  Kill all 4 leopards.

The main doors at the top of the ramp (where the snowballs came from) are locked.  Go up the ramp and jump to grab the opening in the left wall.  Beyond the opening is a room with a frozen pond and a firepot high above.  Note the door with the face above on the right.  You'll be opening this a bit later on.  Now, prepare for another leopard-fest.  When you drop down, 2 leopards charge you.  4 more leopards-2 from ahead, 2 from behind-emerge when you approach the doorway on the right.  They can climb on rocks, so there's no use seeking higher ground.  Just hop around a lot and do your best to kill them.

Enter the cavern on the right where there's a huge wall of ice.  Just to the left of the entrance is a rock outcropping.  Climb over this into a small cave with water below.  Swim down and pick up a second TIBETAN MASK.  (Through a grate under the water you can see a bright object.  You can also see it under the ice in the next room.  This is a gong hammer, which you won't be able to get until the next level.)  When you climb back up, 2 thugs will be waiting below.  Kill them from the rocks if you can, then take their small med-pack, Uzi clips and 2 sets of auto pistol clips.

Return to the main area with the buildings and go around the back of the building with the red trim.  Climb the ladder at the back and retrieve 2 pairs of grenades from the ledge.  Descend and use the mask to open the door below.

There are 4 Yetis in this very dark room.  Fortunately they're in cages and can't get out until you free them.  Enter the room and head to the left.  Jump across the gaps to the center platform where there's a firepot and a switch.  When you pull the switch, the lights go on, the Yeti cages open and grates appear in the gaps between the platforms (i.e., they can get to you).  You can try and run for the exit, or just tough it out and shoot them in here.  When they're all dead, claim your reward:  Downstairs in the cages you'll find 2 large med-packs, 2 pairs of grenades and 2 sets of Uzi clips.

Go back to the top of the stairs and move the block into the first of the small doorways with the gates above.  There's a pair of grenades on the floor in one of the other doorways.  In the room beyond is a switch.  Pull it to open the door above the opening to the firepot room.  It also closes the four gates, which is why you need to move that block.

Head for the door you just opened, killing the 3 bad guys who would try to stop you and taking their 2 boxes of shotgun shells, 2 sets of auto pistol clips, Uzi clips and small med-pack.  When you get to the door above the opening in the rocks, run up the wooden bridge and duck to the left beyond the doorway to avoid the rolling snowballs.  Continue to the end of the bridge, turn right and do a running jump to catch the ladder.  Climb up to a room with an opening over water.  Get out of the water as quickly as you can and shoot the 3 fish that would nibble on you.

Swim through the next cave.  (Don't bother getting out on the icy bank, since there's nothing there but falling icicles.)  Climb out on the rocky ledge on the right side of the opening into the third cave.  Turn around and you'll see a ladder above you.  Climb to the top then do a back flip off the ladder to land on the platform behind you.  Here you'll find SECRET #2, the Jade Dragon.  Run and jump to grab the ladder and descend.

Continue into the last cave.  The large doors are closed.  Climb up on the block in front of them.  Do a running jump to grab the bottom of the ladder hanging from the cave ceiling.  Climb up and back flip to land on a ledge behind you.  Here is the switch that opens the doors below.

Enter the room and kill the charging leopard.  Then pull another switch to open the main doors back at the buildings.  To get down, go to the platform on the right of the firepot.  Do a running jump to land on the slanted blocks below and slide to the ground.

Return to the main doors.  Just ahead is an opening into a room below.  You don't have to go down there in order to get through the level.  If you want to do it anyway, ready guns and jump.  3 leopards charge you when you hit the ground.  Take care of them and take some grenades, M-16 clips and a large med-pack.  Flip the switch to open the side doors and release a fourth leopard.

Go back to the top of the ramp, go through the doors and jump across the pit.  Hills ahead and to the left have snowballs perched at the top.  First, jump up the ramp on the left to set the snow rolling.  Slide back down, then immediately side flip to the right.  This will trigger the other avalanche.  Slide down and either jump over the snowballs as they roll past or run a few steps forward (you'll be facing the pit now) and side flip to the left.  (You can also jump into the pit below through the openings on the sides, but you'll lose a bit of health-quite a bit if you haven't taken care of those leopards first.)

Enter the room opposite the first ramp.  Here you'll see some snow and two floor tiles that don't match the others.  These are pads that open the doors.  First, step on the pad to the left to open the door in front of it.  Enter the room, and look to the left.  Notice the ledge above and the area of wall that looks different from the rest.  You can climb up this wall like a ladder to get SECRET #3, the Gold Dragon (and a bonus of 2 pairs of grenades and 2 sets of M-16 clips if this is your third secret).  Descend and walk carefully through the spikes to the door on the right.

The remaining door in this room leads to the level exit, so you'll need to get through it.  The "how" is a bit complicated:  The first pad opens the first door (1).  You've been through it already.  The second door (2) opens when you approach it.  The other pad (near the snowballs) opens the exit door (3).  All the doors are on timers, so walking through the spikes is too slow.  You'll need to go out door 2, step on the pad that opens door 3, return through door 2 and run through door 3 before it closes.  The combo that worked for me was this:  Stand in the spike room just behind door 2.  Step forward to open the door, then do a running jump to the raised floor just in front of the snow.  Standing jump over the snow, roll (which also serves to open the door), running jump back over the snow, then running jump into the doorway (pulling up is too slow), and run through door 3.

Do a running jump to the ladder, climb down and follow the passage to the end of the level.


LEVEL 14: THE ICE PALACE

Kills: 21  Items: 16 (20)*  plus Tibetan Mask, Gong Hammer, Talion and 3 secrets

Shoot the bell to open the door.  In the next room are two cages-an empty one on the right and another high on the left that holds 3 yetis.  The odd-looking floor tiles are springboards, which will launch Lara up into the air if she steps on them.  Many people have difficulty with these springboards at first.  For the ones in this level, the trick is to stand behind them, facing the direction you want to go, then run onto the board.  Lara will then sail up in the direction she's headed, to land on or grab a ledge high above.  If you jump onto the springboard, Lara will just ping-pong up and down until she eventually crashes to the ground.  

Stand in front of either of the 2 adjacent springboards, facing the archway with the gates beyond.  Run onto the springboard to launch Lara upwards, then grab the angled ledge above.  Climb up and go to the left to find 2 sets of Uzi clips on the floor and a switch.  Flip the switch to raise the empty cage and lower the yetis' cage, freeing them.  Jump down to the floor below on the right side of the switch and kill the yetis as they come up the steps.

Cross the room and retrieve a large med-pack in the far right corner (behind the now raised cage).  Go into the cage above and behind the yeti cage, where you'll find another large med-pack.  Another yeti charges as you approach the stairs at the back.  Kill it then go up the stairs and pull the switch there to raise a platform beyond the bars.

Go back down the stairs and find the moveable block at the back of this cage (across from the opening above the yeti cage).  Pull it out to gain access to a large room.  SECRET #1, the Gold Dragon, stands on a high platform at the other end of the room.  To get across requires a "leap of faith"  la Indiana Jones.  Line Lara up with the platform and step out.  There's an invisible bridge, which will take you across to the dragon and back.

Return to the main room and go to the springboard opposite the yeti cage on the far left.  Above is another bell.  Draw pistols, run onto the springboard, shoot the bell at the peak of the jump and slide down the sloped wall ahead.  Shooting this bell opens the first of the 2 black gates.

Go to the corridor where the gates are.  Face the ledge you just lowered and run onto the springboard to sail up onto the ledge.  Turn around and you'll see another bell.  Stand facing it and jump in place to shoot it.  This will open the second black gate below.  Jump down to the angled block on the left, slide, grab and drop to the ground.

Go through the gates you just opened, turn and right and run onto the springboard.  As Lara sails up, grab the angled ledge above.  Traverse to the right and drop down onto a flat ledge.  There's another bell above and sloped ledges ahead and behind.  Targeting this last bell is a bit complicated:  Face the bell and grab the ledge in front of you.  Pull up, back flip to the slope behind and at the same time draw your pistols.  Shoot the bell and slide down to the flat ledge.  This last bell opens the gate above and to the left.

Grab the sloped ledge below the bell again and traverse to the left.  Pull up, back flip onto the slope behind you, then side flip left to land on the flat ledge.  Climb the ladder to the ledge above.  Climb into the opening and jump across the gap to the floor.  Kill the yeti that charges through the other opening, then take the flares.

Note the Silver Dragon behind the barred window.  To get it, climb through the opening where the yeti came in.  Take a few steps, then turn right.  Climb into the dark opening above and continue until you reach the dragon.  This is SECRET #1.

Return to the path below.  This time, go straight and to the left.  When you reach the room, 3 tigers will charge.  After you've killed them, take the TIBETAN MASK from the pedestal and go back the way you came.  Turn around and this time, go up the ramp to the right.  Follow this passageway past a barred window that overlooks the buildings you encountered in the previous level.  At the end of the passage, ready weapons, jump down into the room below and kill a yeti.

Light a flare and throw it into the dark room below.  You should be able to see and kill the second yeti lurking below.  When it's dead, cross the room to pick up a large med-pack then drop down at the middle of the opening nearest the med-pack to avoid the spikes.  Take the 2 sets of auto pistol clips from the floor in the far right corner.  Climb onto the ledge with the red columns.  There's a small med-pack at one end and a switch, which opens the exit door at the other end.

Cross the bridge, turn left and go through an opening in the snow.  Jump across the rocks to the left to find a switch.  Pull it to spill hot oil from the firepot onto the ice below, melting it so you can get into the water.  Jump down via the angled blocks below and to the right of the switch.  Kill the 2 tigers that charge in from the cave with the ice wall.  Go into that room to pick up 2 boxes of shotgun shells.

Return to the hole in the ice and jump in.  Grab the GONG HAMMER and climb out to shoot the 2 biting fish.  Once you've taken care of them, jump back in the water and swim under the ice through an opening into the next cavern.

Wade out of the water, avoiding the falling icicles, and kill the 3 yetis waiting here.  Opposite the water are 2 openings.  Enter the one on the left, taking care to avoid the falling icicles.  When you approach the low ice wall, another yeti charges.  Kill it, then go behind the wall and collect 4 pairs of grenades.  Return to the cave with the pool and go through the door on the right.  As you enter, 2 yetis attack-one from behind and another from the top of the ice steps.  Kill both, then take the small med-pack lying on the ground.

Continue to a large, sloped cave with many snowballs at the top of the hill.  Walk a few steps into the room to trigger the first wave of snow, and back flip to the safe spot in the doorway.  Do this again for a second bunch of snowballs.  For the remaining avalanches, you'll need to go farther down the slope to set them off, but you can run to the left wall (facing downhill) for safety.

Jump over the snowballs into the doorway.  To cross the first deep chasm, slide backwards down the slope, traverse left, then pull up and back flip into the doorway behind.  To cross the next chasm, do a running jump from the doorway to grab the ice ladder opposite.  Climb to the opening at the top.  Slide backwards down the next icy slope, grab the edge then drop to the ground in front of a huge gong.

Before striking the gong, climb down the ice structure and cross to the far left corner.  Do a standing jump to grab the ladder.  Climb to the bottom, then drop down on the left.  Flip the switch to open the door to the small stone building above.  Climb back up, back flipping from the ladder across the gap.  Go to the stone building and take SECRET #3, the Jade Dragon (with a bonus of 4 pairs of grenades for finding all 3 secrets).

Climb up to the gong and use the hammer to strike it.  This will break the ice windows on either side of the structure below so you can enter and take the TALION.  Climb down to the floor for the final battle of the level.  When you hit the ground, a huge, wingless eagle monster emerges from the ice doorway on the right.  You can tough it out and try not to fall down the deep crevasses on the sides of the platform, or immediately jump up to the left side of the ice building (left if you're facing the gong) and shoot the monster from safety.  Once it is dead, the level ends.

In the movie following, Lara emerges from the caves and steals a Jeep from the bad guys' camp.  A slippery, snowy car chase ensues, with the pasty Marco Bartoli and his henchmen in hot pursuit of our heroine.  Of course she makes a clean getaway and soon returns to the doors of the Xian temple.  She uses the Talion to open the puzzle-lock door, and the next level begins.

(*Under found items, the number in parentheses shows total including extra items granted for finding all three secrets.)

(c) 1998 LKRokjer.  Special thanks are given to the participants in the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup, without whom some parts of this walk-through couldn't have been written.  Feel free to copy, distribute and quote this walk-through, but please include this credit line so people can send me their corrections, comments and suggestions.  Also, if you'd like to offer this on your own web site, kindly ask permission first.  To give me your feedback, send e-mail to stellalune@earthlink.net.

