The Faydown Cloak Double Jump ability in Hollow Knight: Silksong is found at the very peak of Mount Fay, a sub-zone in The Citadel that requires progression-dependent abilities like Swift Step (Air Dash), Drifter's Cloak (Glide/Float), and the Clawline (Grappling Hook) to access. This essential traversal ability transforms exploration in Pharloom, allowing Hornet to reach previously inaccessible areas, discover hidden secrets, and complete Act 3 of the campaign. Unlike many Metroidvania games where double jump appears early, Silksong saves this game-changing ability for Act 2, making it one of the most anticipated upgrades in your journey.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Mount Fay Summit (West of The Citadel) |
| Required Abilities | Clawline, Swift Step, Drifter's Cloak, Wall Jump |
| Act Available | Act 2 |
| Prerequisites | Access The Slab (via capture or Choral Chambers) |
| Protection Gained | Cold damage immunity |
| Key Challenge | Freezing environment with timed platforming |
| Benches Available | 3 (one costs 90 Rosaries) |
Getting the double jump isn't just about reaching a location—it's about conquering one of Silksong's most demanding platforming challenges while managing environmental hazards that will test every skill you've learned. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of unlocking the Faydown Cloak, from essential preparations to conquering Mount Fay's treacherous ascent.
Contents
Before you even think about scaling Mount Fay, you'll need to gather several crucial abilities. Progression-dependent abilities like Swift Step (Air Dash) and Drifter's Cloak (Glide/Float) are a given, but you also need the Clawline (Grappling Hook), which is found in The Cauldron area of the Underworks. Missing even one of these abilities makes the climb impossible, so let's break down exactly what you need and where to find each one.
Clawline (Grappling Hook) - Your most important tool for Mount Fay, the Clawline is hidden in the Underworks. To reach it, you'll need to access the area through Whiteward by grabbing the White Key near the First Shrine/Songclave. Navigate through a dangerous room filled with lava using your glide ability to claim this essential traversal tool. Without Clawline, Mount Fay's grappling segments become literal dead ends.
Swift Step (Air Dash) - This horizontal movement ability lets you dash through the air, essential for crossing gaps between platforms in Mount Fay's exterior sections. You'll acquire this naturally during Act 1 progression.
Drifter's Cloak (Glide/Float) - The glide ability helps you navigate longer horizontal distances and provides crucial air control during complex platforming sequences. Combined with double jump later, this becomes even more powerful for exploration.
Wall Jump/Cling Grip - Basic wall traversal is mandatory for scaling Mount Fay's vertical sections. You'll be wall jumping constantly throughout the climb, often in combination with other abilities.
Beyond abilities, proper preparation makes the Mount Fay climb significantly more manageable. Bring at least 130 Rosaries—40 for purchasing the map from Shakra and 90 for unlocking one of the crucial benches along the route. The only Tools that matter in Mount Fay are the Blue Tools; there's not a lot of combat to worry about, and Yellow are only useful for navigation.
Consider equipping Druid's Eye, which restores one silk every two hits you take—invaluable when you accidentally collide with flying enemies or take environmental damage. Weavelight speeds up silk regeneration, helping you recover faster between Clawline uses and potential healing opportunities. For Crests, choose based on your playstyle, though Hunter or Wanderer Crests offer good versatility for the platforming challenges ahead.
The traditional path to Mount Fay involves getting intentionally captured by enemies. You need to go up against a Wardenfly enemy in the top-right section of Deep Docks. The idea is to lure the enemy until it traps you in sticky globules. It will then jump toward Hornet and place her in a cage. This dramatic entrance transports you directly to The Slab prison area.
Once captured, you'll start without any gear and must navigate the prison to reclaim your equipment. Look for the Key of Indolent and Key of Heretic as you explore, avoiding enemies since you lack weapons. Eventually, you'll reach a point where you can drop down on guards to trigger a gauntlet battle and reclaim your full arsenal. Remember to re-equip all your crests, tools, and items after the fight!
If you've managed to avoid capture throughout Act 1, don't worry—there's an alternative route. Head to the western section of the Choral Chambers where you'll find an accessible entrance to The Slab. Flip the switch inside to open the path, then proceed west toward Mount Fay. This method skips the prison escape sequence but still leads you to the same starting point for the mountain climb.
Mount Fay isn't just a platforming challenge—it's a race against time in one of gaming's most hostile environments. It's extremely cold in Mount Fay. There are areas and objects that give off warmth—lanterns and fireplaces—but these are few and far between. After leaving a source of light/warmth, your character will slowly freeze to death, denoted by blue HP masks at the top-left corner of the screen.
The cold damage system in Mount Fay operates on a timer that becomes increasingly punishing:
This mechanic transforms every platforming segment into a strategic puzzle. You must plan routes between warming stations, sometimes choosing riskier paths that lead to heat sources over safer routes that leave you exposed to the cold longer.
Throughout Mount Fay, you'll find various heat sources that reset your freezing timer:
The key to success involves memorizing warmth source locations and planning efficient routes between them. Sometimes it's worth taking a slightly longer path if it passes by more heat sources, especially when you're low on health.
Your journey begins at the first bench near Shakra, the map vendor. Purchase Mount Fay's map immediately—you'll need it to navigate the complex vertical layout. From here, go left and jump to the two platforms above the frozen lake. From the tiny platform, make a big leap targeting the faraway platform and use Hornet's hook to reach it.
The initial climb involves navigating around a frozen lake using a combination of platforming and grappling. You'll need to:
Remember that touching the water causes rapid health loss, so precision is crucial. Use your Clawline liberally here—silk management becomes important as you'll need it for both traversal and potential healing.
Approximately one-third up the mountain, you'll encounter a hidden bench that costs 90 Rosaries to activate. The second bench is in the lower-left section near a Mask Shard. You have to destroy the wall to reveal a passageway to the bench. This checkpoint is crucial—dying after this point respawns you here rather than at the bottom, saving significant time and frustration.
The path to this bench involves:
The last third of Mount Fay presents the most demanding challenges. Once Hornet reaches an empty area where she can't wall jump her way up, there should be a bug with a breakable platform next to it. Use them to reach the next wall, which will take Hornet to the last remaining challenge.
Key segments include:
Vertical Wall Gauntlet: A series of collapsing walls that require perfect timing. Wall jump quickly, as these platforms crumble on contact. Use Swift Step to dash between walls when gaps are too wide for normal jumps.
Enemy Grapple Chain: Flying enemies become grappling points for an extended aerial sequence. Chain your Clawline from enemy to enemy while managing silk reserves. Missing a grapple often means falling significant distances.
Spike Maze: Navigate through tight corridors lined with instant-death spikes. Combine wall jumps, glides, and careful positioning to thread through narrow safe zones.
Air Current Finale: After Hornet makes it into the last area, she must find the air current that will take her to the top. The air current is available on the left side of the area. Ride this current while avoiding obstacles for the final ascent.
When you reach the tuning fork at the summit, examine it and play your Needolin. A cutscene will play where a huge bird swoops down, and Hornet will be gifted with the Faydown Cloak, protecting her from ice damage and allowing her to double jump.
For maximum efficiency during the climb, consider this loadout configuration:
Primary Tools:
Crest Selection: The Hunter Crest provides excellent aerial control for downward attacks, useful for pogo-jumping off enemies. Alternatively, the Wanderer Crest offers balanced improvements to all movement abilities.
Experienced players can significantly reduce climb time using advanced techniques:
Grapple Canceling: Release Clawline early and use momentum to reach platforms without full swings. This saves silk and time but requires precise timing.
Wall Jump Storage: Build momentum on walls before jumping to achieve greater horizontal distance. Particularly useful in the upper sections where platforms are spread far apart.
Enemy Pogo Chains: Use downward attacks on flying enemies to maintain altitude while crossing large gaps. Combines well with Swift Step for extended aerial sequences.
Cold Damage Management: Experienced players can tank some cold damage strategically, skipping certain warming stations to maintain momentum. Only recommended with full health and healing resources.
Silk Mismanagement: Running out of silk mid-climb leaves you unable to grapple or heal. Always keep at least 2 silk in reserve for emergency situations.
Rushing Through Cold Zones: Panic-dashing through frozen sections often leads to spike deaths or missed platforms. Plan routes carefully and move deliberately.
Ignoring Checkpoints: Skipping the 90 Rosary bench might seem economical, but the time saved from respawning there after deaths far outweighs the cost.
Platform Impatience: Collapsing platforms have specific timing windows. Jumping too early or late results in unnecessary falls.
Once you obtain the Faydown Cloak, Mount Fay transforms from hostile environment to explorable region. The cold immunity alone opens numerous previously deadly areas for thorough exploration. The Double Jump makes Silksong's platform challenges much easier and doubles as an evasive tool against hyper-aggressive bosses. It's required to unlock Silksong Act 3, so if you want to see all endings, you need to retrieve the Faydown Cloak first.
With double jump equipped, these previously unreachable locations become available:
Memorium: This mysterious area houses important lore and powerful upgrades. The vertical nature of Memorium makes it impossible without double jump's added height.
Cogwork Core (Upper Sections): The path to the top is straightforward and leads to the last melody. The Architect's Melody is found at the top of the tower, after solving a simple puzzle where you'll need to hit switches so lines on each cylinder match.
Sands of Karak: An optional desert region with unique challenges and rewards. Double jump is essential for navigating the shifting sand platforming sections.
Hidden Collectibles: Dozens of Mask Shards, Spool Fragments, and Lost Fleas become accessible throughout previously explored areas. Backtracking with double jump reveals secrets you likely noticed but couldn't reach before.
The Faydown Cloak revolutionizes combat beyond simple evasion:
Aerial Superiority: Double jump allows repositioning mid-combat, avoiding ground-based attacks while maintaining offensive pressure.
Extended Pogo Chains: Combine double jump with downward attacks for prolonged aerial assault sequences.
Boss Pattern Manipulation: Many boss attacks can be completely negated by double jumping at the right moment, turning dangerous situations into counterattack opportunities.
The double jump in Silksong operates with specific mechanical properties:
Input Window: The second jump must be initiated while airborne from the first jump. Ground pounds or wall jumps reset this ability.
Height Gain: Each jump provides roughly 2.5 character heights of vertical distance. Combined, you can reach platforms approximately 5 character heights above your starting position.
Momentum Preservation: Horizontal momentum carries through both jumps. Combining with Swift Step creates impressive distance coverage.
Ability Combination: Double jump chains seamlessly with other abilities:
The Triple Threat: Jump → Double Jump → Wall Jump creates a three-stage vertical climb, perfect for scaling tall structures without designated climbing surfaces.
The Safety Net: Use double jump as emergency recovery when missing platforms. Save your second jump until absolutely necessary rather than using it immediately.
The Boss Dancer: During boss fights, Jump → Double Jump → Swift Step → Glide creates an evasive sequence that avoids most attack patterns while maintaining screen position.
Mount Fay contains several Mask Shards, though one can only be acquired during Act 3 of the campaign. The accessible shards require careful exploration:
Lower West Shard: Behind a breakable wall near the 90 Rosary bench. Listen for the telltale humming sound that indicates secrets nearby.
Eastern Alcove Shard: Accessible via a hidden grapple point chain. Look for slightly discolored background elements that might hide grapple rings.
With double jump unlocked, return to Mount Fay for additional collectibles:
Summit Spiral Flea: Above the Faydown Cloak altar, a spiraling path leads to a Lost Flea. Requires double jump to reach the starting platform.
Frozen Waterfall Fragments: Behind the frozen waterfall near the middle section, Spool Fragments await players who explore thoroughly.
Focus on path optimization rather than speed. Identify every warming station along your intended route and plan stops accordingly. Sometimes taking a "longer" path with more heat sources results in faster overall completion.
Ensure you're combining abilities properly. Many "impossible" jumps become manageable when chaining Jump → Double Jump → Swift Step → Glide. Practice these combinations in safer areas before attempting them during the climb.
Equip Weavelight for faster regeneration and Druid's Eye for recovery on damage. Also, look for the small silk deposits hidden throughout Mount Fay—they're easy to miss but provide crucial resources.
This section requires patience and pattern recognition. The flying enemies move in predictable patterns. Wait for optimal positioning before starting your grapple chain, and don't hesitate to fall back to a safe platform if the alignment isn't perfect.
After obtaining the Faydown Cloak, your next objectives become clear:
Complete the Three Melodies: Double jump is required to get all three melodies. The Vaultkeeper's Melody and Conductor's Melody are available with grapple only, but the third melody requires double jump.
Explore Memorium: This area contains crucial story elements and powerful upgrades that significantly impact the late game.
Backtrack for Collectibles: Revisit early areas with your new mobility to claim previously inaccessible Mask Shards and other upgrades.
For continued assistance with your Silksong journey, these official community resources provide valuable support:
The official Hollow Knight Discord offers real-time help from experienced players who can provide specific advice for troublesome Mount Fay sections.
The Hollow Knight subreddit features detailed guides, video tutorials, and discussion threads about optimal strategies for conquering Mount Fay and beyond.
For comprehensive information about all game mechanics, the Hollow Knight Wiki maintains updated guides on every ability, area, and secret in Silksong.
Team Cherry's official Twitter account provides updates about patches that might affect Mount Fay's difficulty or mechanics.
No, the Clawline (grappling hook) is absolutely essential for Mount Fay. Multiple sections require grappling across rings and enemies. You'll find the Clawline in The Cauldron area of the Underworks, accessible through Whiteward with the White Key.
Unfortunately, no. The freezing damage is a core mechanic of Mount Fay that can only be negated by obtaining the Faydown Cloak itself. Your only option is managing the damage through strategic use of warming stations and efficient routing between heat sources. The damage timer resets completely when you reach any heat source.
You'll respawn at the 90 Rosary bench rather than the starting area, making subsequent attempts much faster. This is why activating this bench is highly recommended despite the cost—the time saved from not having to reclimb the lower sections far outweighs the Rosary investment.
Yes, you can leave Mount Fay at any time and return later. Your progress is saved at whatever bench you last rested at. However, once you start the climb, it's generally better to push through since you'll need to deal with the cold mechanics again when you return.
The freezing mechanics remain consistent across all difficulty settings. What changes is your overall health pool and how much damage other hazards deal, but the cold damage timer and rate remain the same regardless of difficulty choice.
While specific achievement lists vary by platform, speedrunning Mount Fay without taking cold damage and finding all hidden collectibles in the area typically unlock achievements. Check your platform's achievement list for specific requirements.
The Faydown Cloak represents one of Hollow Knight: Silksong's most significant power progressions. While the journey through Mount Fay tests every skill you've developed, the reward fundamentally transforms how you explore Pharloom. From accessing Act 3 content to discovering hidden secrets throughout the kingdom, double jump opens doors that seemed permanently closed.
Remember that Mount Fay is designed to be challenging—don't get discouraged by initial failures. Each attempt teaches you more about the optimal route, enemy patterns, and platform timings. With persistence, preparation, and the strategies outlined in this guide, you'll soon stand atop Mount Fay with the Faydown Cloak in hand, ready to uncover all of Pharloom's remaining mysteries.
The double jump ability isn't just a movement upgrade—it's your key to experiencing everything Silksong has to offer. Whether you're hunting for 2025's latest secrets, preparing for challenging boss encounters, or simply enjoying the fluid movement system, the Faydown Cloak makes every moment in Pharloom more dynamic and engaging.