The Level 2 padlock key is inside the suspended gondola. From the locked gate area, climb the large central rock and follow the higher ledges. As the route descends slightly, look right for the gondola and jump inside. Collecting the key triggers a cutscene; pick the key up again after that scene before returning to the gate.
The second pickup is the easy step to miss. If you reach the padlock after visiting the gondola but still cannot open it, check whether you recovered the key after the interruption.
Find the route above the locked gate
The gate is a physical lock problem. You are not looking for another four-digit code or another generator to activate at this point. Once you recognize the padlock, turn your attention to the central rock and the ledges above it.
- Climb the large rock in the middle of the area.
- Look upward for the next accessible ledges.
- Follow those ledges across the larger gaps.
- When the path comes down a little, inspect the right side for the gondola.
- Jump inside it to reach the key.
Use the ledges as your route reference rather than trying to reach the suspended equipment directly from the gate. The gondola is away from the normal landing, so its visible position is not necessarily the first jump you should attempt.
Follow the marked upper route rather than attempting a direct jump from the gate.
Collect the key before and after the cutscene
Inside the gondola, take the padlock key. The interaction leads into a cutscene that changes the immediate situation. When control returns, collect the key again.
Treat the post-scene recovery as part of the objective rather than assuming the first interaction permanently finished it. This is the difference between having reached the correct location and having the usable item for the return trip.
Do not infer that every later inventory problem is the same sequence. The advice here applies to this specific gondola interruption. If you never entered the gondola at all, first complete the climb and pickup route; if you did enter it, verify the recovery step before revisiting unrelated offices.
Return to the padlock through the onward ledges
After recovering the key, follow the available road ahead. The next ledges take you back toward the padlocked gate. Continue along that route instead of trying to reverse a crossing that may no longer be usable after the scene.
At the gate, use the key on the padlock to open the way forward. Opening this gate completes the key task. It does not finish all of Level 2, and the Brontosaurus remains part of the route afterward.
If you are also carrying the Level 2 stuffed animal, there is a pedestal detour beyond the unlocked gate: take the small cave on the right into the larger cave containing water. That delivery is optional and separate from opening the padlock.
Return to this padlock after recovering the gondola key.
Diagnose a failed unlock by the step you reached
| What happened | Next check |
|---|---|
| You found the padlock but no key | Climb the central rock and follow the upper ledges toward the gondola |
| You entered the gondola and saw the cutscene | Recover the key after the scene |
| You have recovered the key | Follow the onward ledges back to the gate and use it |
| The gate is open | Continue the level; the gondola-key objective is finished |
There is no supported reason to restart the whole chapter merely because you have not yet found the correct approach. Work through the physical route first. If an interaction remains unavailable despite recovering the key, record the current objective and platform before treating the situation as a progression fault. A missing pickup and a broken trigger need different responses.