A Traveling We Shall Go....

I am looking to get to Crystal Desert, But looking at the maps there doesn't seem to be a way there.....I am currently in Ascalon, with my Sin/R and want to go to Crystal desert. Wiki doesn't say how, and again the maps don't seem to show a path like it does from LA to Ascalon.

just do the missions and find out

the way to get to the desert is to do the missions in around LA. There is simply no port to the desert other than the crystal overlok in NF. Sia

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Sanctum_cay

You need to do the Sanctum Cay mission. You'll be transported to the Desert during its end cinematic.

If you have reached the Desolation in Nightfall you can travel to the desert in prophecies from Crystal Overlook.

You can only reach the crystal desert from desolation if you visited the desert before

Here is the Prophecies mission list on the wiki
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/List_...ecies_missions

If you do the missions, you advance through the game/storyline and eventually reach the Crystal Desert. Once you complete the missions there, you will be sent to Droknar's Forge to continue in the Southern Shiverpeaks.

Lie. You can do sanctum cay mission and you go over on a boat that vizier spawns from the mists to run from the mantle.

that doesn't refute what he said at all.
he said that you can't go to the crystal desert from nightfall if you haven't already been there (i.e. beat sanctum cay), not that the only way to get there is through nightfall.

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If you are a newer player it could be very worthwhile to at least 'tag' the outposts. There are a bunch of skill quests on the way to the desert and, when in the desert there are several more. There are also several profession quests that give you secondary professions free for the quest.

You don't have to explore every point in maps on the way and it realy doesn't take very long to just do the missions with or without masters level.

Also it's worth mentioning that you can also "buy" a run from a runner from Ascalon to LA, then LA to Sanctum Cay, then buy a mission run. The LA-Desert run is usually only 2-3k depending on the runner. (I my self charge 3k because I have kids to feed, and w/ever.)

The run from Ascalon to LA is usually 5k or so, or at least that's what I charge. Just sit in Ascalon District 1 and see if anyone is running to LA, and how much.

Or do the missions your self, which takes longer but makes you feel like you accomplished something instead of taking the easy way out.

Also, to give you an idea on time invested; runs to/fro Ascalon to LA take anywhere between 1-2 hours also depending on runner skill. The run to the desert from LA also takes about 1 hour again depending on runner skill. I have done the LA to Ascalon run in under 60 minutes before, but that was due to the poeple who I was running stayed put at the start, and left me to do my job./didn't get in my way. )

ascalon to LA or the other way is a long run, but is la to sanctum cay really a hour?

The run from LA to Sanctum Cay to Mission/Desert is, yes, around an hour. There is actually quite a lot of grond to be covered. ;-)

LA and Sanctum Cay look close on a map, but the route is west through Kryta to the Maguuma Jungle area and down through Riverside Province, then north again. It's a very convoluted path.

I once got a run from Ascalon to Sanctum Cay, because she was offering (free run, but she had to not object to your name) and I went for it.

It took 72 minutes (making me late for work) and she hit every outpost/town except the mission points. Wonderful runner, party had a great time.

LA to Sanctum Cay should not take you anywhere near Maguuma... Unless you're running to the Jungle; runner had no idea where they were going. :-P

The run is North to Nebo Terrese, then immediately south to Hot Springs. Then North West through Cursed Lands, and Black Curtan to Temple of Ages. Once there, it's again West to Telmark Wilderness, and immediately South to Tears of the Fallen. Continue Southbound to Stingray Island & Fisherman's Haven, and then finish at Sanctum Cay. Complete mission, and you're dumped into Amnoon Oasis/Desert.

Usually takes about 40-60 minutes depending on runner skill/knowledge of successful routes. The run to/fro Ascalon/LA is, yes, very long. But the enemies are weak, hence making running easy. But it's easy to get turned around in some areas of Ascalon.

If you DO get ran from Ascalon to LA, make sure they stop at Beacon's Perch so you can later get a run to Droks.

5k for an Ascalon-LA run is way too much, assuming the runner has other passengers. I never pay more than 2k and usually 1.5k. If nobody in Ascalon is offering LA runs for that rate, it's easy to get a run to Yak's Bend for 500g and the standard fare for Yak's-LA is only 1k. I would only pay 5k if I was in a huge hurry and wanted the runner to leave immediately without waiting for a full party.

I've noticed some runners don't stop in Beacons. Being a cynic, I suspect they do that to increase the market for LA-Beacons runs.