Key Takeaway
To begin the journey back to The Applecore, head to the Mystic Gateway in the south of Svartalfheim’s Aurvangar Wetlands. From there, explore the northwest to find a barge on a chain that you can use to get back to Sverd Sands. Then, head to the northwest of Sverd Sands to find an elevator that will descend into The Applecore. At that point, you need the Draupnir Spear to help you backtrack through The Applecore to reach Jarnsmida Pitmines.
There is a lot of backtracking in God of War Ragnarök if you want to find everything. However, to return to The Applecore and Jarnsmida Pitmines, you need to approach from a different direction than before.
Table Of Contents
Start From the Aurvangar Wetlands
To begin your trip back to The Applecore and Jarnsmida Pitmines, head to the Mystic Gateway in the south of the Aurvangar Wetlands. Once there, turn northwest and look for a big barge attached to a chain.
Use the Barge to Get to Sverd Sands
This is the same one that you used to get from Sverd Sands to this part of the Aurvangar Wetlands. It’s time to use it in reverse! Just be sure you have the Draupnir Spear before you come back here, as it’s needed to progress all the way back to The Applecore and Jarnsmida Pitmines.
Board the barge and press the Circle button to travel to Sverd Sands. This will take about a minute, however, Mimir will likely tell you a short story to help pass the time. Soon enough, you can get off the barge and proceed to the next part of your journey.
Descend the Elevator Into The Applecore
Don’t worry about the undiscovered objective on Sverd Sands. That is something that will only become available after you complete the main story questline. It involves (spoiler alert) a secret ending and the funeral of a beloved character. For now, head to the northwest part of Sverd Sands and look for the wooden elevator. This will take you down into the tunnels of The Applecore.
Start Backtracking Through The Applecore
Once you reach the bottom of the elevator, there is a wooden zipline with a coiled rope. Now that you have the Draupnir Spear, you can interact with it. When you do, Kratos will launch one end of the rope to the other side with the Draupnir Spear’s aid. This creates a zipline that you can use to zoom northward and deeper into the tunnel.
Fight the Pair of Revenants
After you pass the zipline area, there are two Revenants waiting for you just beyond the bend. Both are level seven, so, if you are at gear level five or lower, you may have a hard time. When the Revenants have been taken down, keep going through the linear tunnel until you spot a crack in the wall that is blowing out air.
Collect Kvasir’s Sanguinity Poem and Loot the Big Chest
Throw a Draupnir Spear into this windy crack to create a jumping point for Kratos. This lets you leap to the ledge above. Be ready when you climb the ledge, as there are a few Grim enemies waiting for you.
After you dispatch the Grim foes, be sure to pick up the Kvasir Poem (Sanguinity) that’s lying on the ground. Nearby, there is also a large chest with Luminous Alloy and some Hacksilver in it. Following the looting of this chest, head east across the gap to another ledge.
At the top of this ledge, there is a small chest that you should loot before proceeding. Once you do, head to the end of this tunnel and check out the chain that lets you climb down into an open area. Be careful, as, just beyond, there is a powerful foe lying in wait.
Defeat the Troll (Miklimunnr)
The moment you descend the chain, Miklimunnr will burst out of a nearby Troll-sized door and attack you. Do battle with the big brute and slay them once and for all!
After you kill the Troll, you will get some decent rewards—including a new spear attachment. The Hind of the Four Winds that you get for defeating Miklimunnr adds a small projectile at the end of the Draupnir Spear’s R2 combo when equipped.
Before you exit this room via the hole in the corner, check out the area that Miklimunnr popped out from.
Hilariously, there’s nothing in here. It’s basically a closet, but with less to see. Turns out that Miklimunnr was just…hiding in here and waiting to surprise you. For centuries.
Progress Through the Mine Tunnels
After the boss fight with the Troll, you can squeeze through a narrow hole in the corner to reach the mine section of The Applecore. At this time, you can see a grapple point that will bring you southwest. Swing across it to go further into the cluttered mine.
After you cross this gap, keep going northwest as much as you can until you find a ledge looking over another gap. In the distance, you can see some familiar sights from the last time that you were here.
Blow Up the Debris and Loot the Artifact (Althjof’s Statue)
Leap down to the north to find some gold-colored rocks that can only be cleared by an explosion. You need to get through this area to keep making progress. Thankfully, there is an explosive vase nearby.
Walk a bit west of the blockage to get a better view of the explosive vase. From here, you can throw the Leviathan Axe or the Draupnir Spear at it to blow up the debris. Afterward, you can leap across this gap to reach the area beyond.
There will be some glowing blue water with another grapple point above it. Swing across it and then grapple up to the ledge nearby. This brings you to a door to the north. Go through it to continue your journey through The Applecore and Jarnsmida Pitmines.
Near this door, there is an artifact from the Things Left Behind collection (Althjof’s Statue). Pick it up and then keep moving.
Locate The Applecore Mystic Gateway
After you pass through the doorway, head northwest to find another windy crack in the wall. Get some distance from it and find an angle at which you can throw a Draupnir Spear into it. This lets you cross the gap to an upper area.
There is a Mystic Gateway in this upper area along with some other points of interest: a Nornir Chest and a Lindwyrm. First, take care of the tiny rift and the baby Lindwyrm. Doing so will net you some rare upgrade resources—including a Gale Spark.
Once you interact with the rift and capture the Lindwyrm, there is a pile of debris that you need to clear. Smash the explosive vase to expose one of the Nornir Chest’s idols.
Open the Nornir Chest
You need to break all of the idols at the same time to open this Nornir Chest. As such, throw one Draupnir Spear into the idol that was behind the rubble you just cleared away. Next, look around the Mystic Gateway for the second idol and do the same.
For the third and final idol, you need to return to the Nornir Chest and look southeast. The idol you’re looking for is in the distance; just right of a water wheel. Peg it with a Draupnir Spear and then press the Triangle button to set off the spears. This will destroy the idols at the same time and unlock the Nornir Chest. When you open the chest, you get a Horn of Blood Mead.
Making Your Way Out of The Applecore
When you’re ready, walk into the tunnel leading northward from the Mystic Gateway. This leads you out of The Applecore’s mines, so get ready to breathe some fresh air once more!
Look for a hole in the ground that leads northwest. This tiny tunnel connects The Applecore and Jarnsmida Pitmines. Once you’re through it, look up.
Loot the Legendary Chest
To the west, there is a ledge you can grapple to. When you get up here, walk down the linear path until you notice some golden flecks in the air. Turn around and you can spot a place where you can inscribe a mystic rune. This will dissolve a nearby wall and reveal a Legendary Chest.
In this chest is an axe attachment called the Banahogg Knob. When equipped, it temporarily increases unarmed attacks after a precision throw of the Leviathan Axe.
Turn Northward to Get to Jarnsmida Pitmines
Once you’ve looted the Legendary Chest, turn north again and keep going until you spot the big crane. Congratulations, you’ve made it back to The Applecore and Jarnsmida Pitmines! Explore the area and gather up as much loot as you can.
However, keep in mind that one point of interest here only becomes available after you complete the main story questline. Furthermore, the Berserker Gravestone here possesses two powerful foes who are both at level eight. You may need to come back later to fight them if your gear level is currently five or under.
