Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is filled with unique items that enhance gameplay, from combat boosters to skilling essentials. Among these, Ice Gloves stand out as a niche but invaluable tool for both questing and skilling. Unlike many items in OSRS gold that require complex grinding or rare drops, Ice Gloves follow a straightforward path-if you know where to look and meet the basic requirements.

Whether you're a new player tackling key quests or a seasoned adventurer optimizing your skilling efficiency, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get Ice Gloves, including prerequisites, step-by-step instructions, tips for success, and even how to use them once you have them.

What Are Ice Gloves, and Why Do You Need Them?

Before diving into how to get Ice Gloves, it's important to understand their purpose. These gloves are not meant for combat-they offer minimal defense bonuses and no attack perks-but their unique ability makes them irreplaceable for certain tasks.

The core function of Ice Gloves is to protect your character from damage when handling hot objects. This might seem trivial, but it's critical for completing several key quests and maximizing efficiency in skilling activities like Smithing and Fishing.

For example, Ice Gloves are required to pick up the hot black cog during the Clock Tower quest, retrieve the polished pet rock from a geyser in The Fremennik Exiles quest, and battle fire-based bosses like Fareed in Desert Treasure I and Flambeed in Recipe for Disaster. In skilling, they let you grab newly smithed bars from the Blast Furnace or metal preforms from Giants' Foundry without waiting for them to cool, boosting your experience rates significantly.

Prerequisites for Getting Ice Gloves

Unlike some OSRS items that demand high skill levels or completed quests, Ice Gloves have only one hard requirement: a Mining level of 50. This is non-negotiable, as you'll need to mine through boulders to reach the Ice Queen-the only source of Ice Gloves in the game.

There are no quest prerequisites. You don't need to start or complete any quests (such as Heroes' Quest, which later requires Ice Gloves) to obtain them. This makes Ice Gloves accessible to mid-level players who have focused on Mining but haven't tackled advanced questlines yet.

While not required, having basic combat gear is recommended. The Ice Queen is a level 111 monster, and while she's not overly difficult, she can deal melee damage that low-level players may struggle to handle. A simple set of steel or mithril armor, plus a weapon like a scimitar, will suffice.

You'll also need a pickaxe (any tier, as long as you can wield it with 50 Mining) to break through the boulders blocking the Ice Queen's lair. A rune pickaxe is ideal for speed, but even an iron pickaxe will work-just be prepared for slightly slower mining times.

Step-by-Step: How to Get Ice Gloves

Step 1: Travel to White Wolf Mountain

The Ice Queen resides in a cavern beneath White Wolf Mountain, which is located between the Fremennik Province and Kandarin. There are several ways to reach the mountain, depending on your location and unlocked teleports.

If you have access to the Camelot teleport spell (requires 45 Magic and a law rune, air rune, and water rune), cast it to teleport to Camelot, then head west until you reach the mountain. Alternatively, you can teleport to Falador and travel north-west, or walk from Ardougne if you're in the southern part of Kandarin.

Step 2: Enter the Ice Queen's Cavern

Once you're at White Wolf Mountain, look for the entrance to the Ice Queen's cavern. It's marked by a small opening on the northern side of the mountain, near the path that connects the two provinces.

When you enter the cavern, you'll immediately encounter a set of boulders blocking your path. This is where your 50 Mining comes into play. Equip your pickaxe, right-click the boulders, and select "Mine" to break through them. This will take a few seconds, but it's a one-time task-you won't need to mine the boulders again if you return later.

Step 3: Navigate the Cavern and Defeat the Ice Queen

After breaking through the boulders, you'll enter the main cavern where the Ice Queen lives. Along the way, you may encounter ice warriors, ice spiders, and ice giants-all low to mid-level monsters that are easy to avoid or defeat if needed.

The Ice Queen is located at the deepest part of the cavern. She is a large, blue-skinned monster wielding a ice-based weapon. When you approach her, she will attack you with melee damage, so be sure to activate Protect from Melee if you have the buy RS gold Prayer level (requires 31 Prayer) to reduce the damage taken.

Fighting the Ice Queen is straightforward. She has relatively low defense, so even mid-level players can defeat her quickly. Focus on attacking her with your weapon, and use food (like salmon or trout) if your health drops too low. She will not use any special attacks, so you don't need to worry about dodging or countering unique abilities.