Ironforge Airport – Before Cataclysm

I was able to visit the Ironforge Airport before Cataclysm. I took dozens of screenshots of my journey, and intended on putting them into this blog. But then, I ran out of time.

Until now! The inspiration for this trip came from Skolnick’s Warcraft Less Traveled podcast. In episode three, he described in great detail exactly how to get to the Ironforge Airport. The screenshots you see in this blog were taken on November 7, 2010.

At least some of you reading this blog will remember that before Cataclysm, it was not possible to use a flying mount in Eastern Kingdoms, (the continent that Ironforge is located on). The only way to get there was to climb the mountain. The starting point was where my Draenei is standing in the screenshot at the top of this blog.

You can kind of see the start of the path here.

I, of course, got lost. This allowed me to see some very interesting “edges” of the snowdrifts.

When I finally got there, I found the gryphons that Skolnick had mentioned. This was not an actual, functioning, flight path. There wasn’t a Gryphon Master to talk to, either.

You can talk to the Ironforge Mountaineers. They respond just like the Ironforge Guards do. Since I couldn’t find the Gryphon Master, I decided to ask for directions to one.

Somehow, this wasn’t the response I was hoping for.

This one is waving at someone that only he can see.

This one is saluting. I guess she must be a good singer?

There’s a building over there.

I walked down the ramp that leads into the building.

This is what it looked like inside.

Outside of the building, there were tanks.

Here is a view of the entrance to another building, not far from the tanks.

And, of course, it couldn’t be called Ironforge Airport without having at least a few planes sitting there.

A sad Dwarf cries over his damaged plane. The Gnome engineer doesn’t look very moved by this display of emotion. Perhaps the Gnome already knows exactly how to fix it?

A few of the Dwarven Mountaineers were riding their racial Mounts.

This tall, tower-like building looked as though it might be an entrance to Ironforge itself.

Time to go take a look inside!

The Ironforge Guards were not stopping visitors from exploring.

A long hallway leads….

…to a door that cannot be opened.

This lake is frozen.

Oddly enough, a Pet Trainer is located on the frozen lake itself.

She is dancing with a Holdout Warrior…

…and a Coldridge Mountaineer.

I’ve no idea what they are celebrating. Not far from where they stand, an ongoing battle is waging. It is between the Dwarven Mountaineers, who are seen throughout the Ironforge Airport, and an invading band of Frostmane Trolls.