Dragon’s Dogma 2: Why the Climbing Hook Prompt Is Missing and Throws Keep Failing

The Climbing Hook turns certain tether posts into rope ladders you can climb, but two things stop players cold. Either the “F Use climbing hook” prompt never appears, or the throw sails past the post and the rope snaps back. The prompt needs a hook in your pack and the post in view; a missed throw can be corrected by aiming until the arc turns blue.

Quick answer: Keep a Climbing Hook in your pack, step back a few metres from the cliff foot so the camera can see the post, aim until the arc turns blue, then throw with the right mouse button.

At the Lake Norgan tether post by day: “F Use climbing hook” from a few metres back, a white arc that misses beside the post, then a blue arc locked on the post that catches, and “Ascend” up the rope.

What you need before the prompt will appear

The prompt depends on two conditions at the same time. Miss either one and nothing shows up on the post.

A Climbing Hook in your pack. With none carried, the post stays silent from the cliff foot; with one carried, the prompt appears from the very same rocks.
The post inside the camera’s view. Pressed right against the rock, the camera cannot see the post and no prompt shows.

Each hook weighs 0.20 kg and carries the text, “Strong rope, with a hook at the end of it. Use it on a tether post to create a rope ladder. Can be thrown to distant tether posts, as well.”

Bring up the “F Use climbing hook” prompt

Standing directly under the wall is one reason the prompt never shows. The camera ends up buried in the rock, so it cannot frame the post on the cliff top. Back off and look up instead.

Walk back about four metres from the foot of the cliff so you have a clear line to the top.

Face the post and raise the camera until the carved post atop the cliff is in view. Look for the “F Use climbing hook” prompt on it.

The Arisen a few metres back from the Lake Norgan cliff looking up at the carved tether post, with the F Use climbing hook prompt on the post — A few metres back with the camera tilted up: “F Use climbing hook” on the post.

Press F to bring up a small Items window titled “Select an item to use.” Find “Climbing Hook” in the list, then press F on it again to confirm.

The Items window reading Select an item to use, with the Climbing Hook and its description — “Select an item to use.” with the Climbing Hook.

Land the throw: white arc vs blue arc

Confirming the hook drops you into an over-the-shoulder aim view, with hints for “Cancel” on X and “Throw” on the right mouse button.

A white arc shows that you have no lock.

Aim view below the cliff with a white aiming mark on the rock face beside the tether post — A white arc: not locked on the post.

If you throw while it is white, the hook sails past the post—off its left side here—and the rope pulls straight back.

The thrown hook flying past the tether post on the cliff top after a throw on a white arc — A miss: the hook passes beside the post.

Adjust your aim slightly, in this case to the right and lower, until the arc becomes blue and reaches the post. Blue indicates a lock.

Aim view with the hook raised and the arc glowing blue where it ends on the tether post — A blue arc: locked on the post.

Throw on a blue arc and it catches. The hook wraps round the post, a rope ladder drops down the cliff, and your hook count ticks from 1 to 0.

Missing does not consume a hook. The count stayed the same after one daytime throw at the Lake Norgan post and after seven consecutive misses at a post below Lorade Castle. Only a successful catch uses a hook, so you can keep adjusting until the aim turns blue without worrying about wasting one.

Climb the rope and what stays behind

At the rope’s base, the prompt says “F Ascend”. A quick press of F has no effect. Hold F to grab the rope, then hold W to climb.

The Arisen at the foot of the rope ladder on the Lake Norgan cliff with the F Ascend prompt beside the rope — “F Ascend” at the foot of the rope.

The rope stays where it was tied. At the Lake Norgan post it was still hanging on a return the next morning, after travelling away and resting at an inn, and “F Ascend” worked with no Climbing Hook left in the pack.