What to know
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Press Triangle (PS) to regain stamina while you’re climbing (shake-out).
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On PC, press Q to regain stamina. On Xbox controllers, press Y.
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You recover best in a solid, stable stance; a bad position can limit recovery.
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The flash color after shaking out signals how good the recovery was (green better, yellow warning).
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Going off belay on a piton fully restores stamina.
Cairn rewards climbing like a real endurance puzzle. You move, you settle into a secure stance, then you deliberately recover before the next push. And because you can’t see your stamina bar, it becomes even more important to get cued into when Aava’s losing her stamina.
How to recover stamina while you’re still on the wall
Step 1
Stop in a solid position before you try to recover, because shake-out works best when you’re secure rather than fighting for balance.
Step 2
On PS, press Triangle to trigger the shake-out and regain stamina while climbing.
On PC (Keyboard), press Q.
For Xbox Controller, press Y.
Step 3
Read the recovery feedback: a green flash means you recovered well, while a yellow flash is a warning that you need a better rest position soon.
Step 4
Repeat the climb-rest rhythm often, since frequent short rests are a core part of avoiding falls.
How to get a full stamina reset with pitons
Step 1
Place and clip into a piton as you climb to create a safe rest opportunity.
Step 2
Press X to off belay at the piton to fully restore Aava’s stamina.
Step 3
Use this as your safety valve: do it before a crucial climb or when you notice you’re slipping toward exhaustion.
If you treat stamina like a resource you actively manage, you’ll fall less and progress more consistently: stabilize, shake out with Triangle, and rely on pitons for full resets when you need them.
