Boulder Hauler

The Boulder Hauler Reins summon an epic ground and flying mount added in patch 10.1 "Embers of Neltharion" of the Dragonflight expansion. It is a stone-red slateback specially trained by the niffen to haul heavy cargo. The mount is purchased from the vendor Ponzo in the settlement of Loamm, located in Zaralek Cavern, for 170 Barter Bricks or 85 Barter Boulders.

The Boulder Hauler is one of several mounts in the slateback family that inhabit the underground caverns of the Dragon Isles. Its stone-red coloration sets it apart from the other slatebacks: cobalt, flame, shadowflame, and others. In silhouette it resembles a flying ray with massive wings covered in rocky growths.

• Guaranteed acquisition — the Boulder Hauler is bought from a vendor for currency, not dropped on a percentage chance. As soon as you accumulate the required number of Barter Bricks or Barter Boulders, the mount is yours
• Unique model — a slateback with stone-red coloration. A massive, imposing mount with distinctive rocky wings and the underground aesthetic of the niffen
• Ground and flying — the mount works both on the ground and in the air. On the ground its speed is +60% or +100% (depending on your riding skill), and in the air up to +310%
• Available to all characters — once purchased, the mount becomes available on every character on your account
• Relatively fast to obtain — unlike mounts that require months of farming, the Boulder Hauler is achievable within a few weeks of active play in Zaralek Cavern

To buy the mount you need to reach renown 3 with the Loamm Niffen and accumulate 170 Barter Bricks (or 85 Barter Boulders at renown 12 and above).

1. Head to Zaralek Cavern via the portal in Valdrakken. Access to the zone opens after you begin the patch 10.1 storyline
2. Make your way to the settlement of Loamm — the underground city of the niffen in the center of Zaralek Cavern
3. Raise your renown with the Loamm Niffen to level 3 to unlock the vendor Ponzo
4. Complete the quest "Get Rich Quick" from Ponzo to unlock his inventory
5. Accumulate 170 Barter Bricks (or 85 Barter Boulders if your renown is 12 or higher)
6. Purchase the Boulder Hauler Reins from Ponzo and use the item to learn the mount

Ponzo is an enterprising niffen who carries the title "Grand Exchanger." He is located in the settlement of Loamm in Zaralek Cavern.

How to Get to Ponzo

1. Use the portal to Zaralek Cavern from Valdrakken (Seat of the Aspects)
2. After teleporting, head toward the center of the zone, to the settlement of Loamm
3. Ponzo stands in the central part of Loamm

Coordinates

How to Unlock the Vendor

1. Reach renown 3 with the Loamm Niffen — this happens automatically as you complete the introductory quests in Zaralek Cavern
2. Ponzo will offer you the quest "Get Rich Quick" — accept and complete it
3. After that, Ponzo's full inventory opens up, including the mount

Barter Bricks are the main currency for trading with Ponzo at the early renown levels. Upon reaching renown 12 with the Loamm Niffen, you gain the perk "Loamm Trading Improved," after which Barter Boulders begin to drop instead of bricks. One Barter Boulder is equal to three bricks.

Sources of Barter Bricks

• Cayanne's barter assignments — after completing the quest "Commodities 101," you gain access to repeatable delivery assignments, each of which yields 5 Barter Bricks
• Sniffenseeking with Myrrit — for completing digs you receive "Niffen Gathered Resources," which may contain Barter Bricks. Three digs are available per week
• Ritual offerings — communal containers in Zaralek Cavern that drop bricks
• Waterlogged bundles — world containers in Zaralek Cavern
• Rare enemies and treasures — killing rare mobs and opening chests in Zaralek Cavern can yield bricks

Switching to Barter Boulders

Upon reaching renown 12 with the Loamm Niffen:

1. The NPC Pos-T (coordinates 56.4, 56.6 in Zaralek Cavern) offers the quest Bartering Boulders
2. After completing the quest, Ponzo's prices change to Barter Boulders
3. The mount will cost 85 Barter Boulders instead of 170 bricks
4. Remaining bricks can be exchanged for boulders at Ponzo (rate of 3 bricks = 1 boulder)

Buying Boulders with Dragon Isles Supplies

Upon reaching renown 20 (the maximum level), you can buy Barter Boulders from the NPC Harlowe Marl for 100 Dragon Isles Supplies each. This significantly speeds up obtaining the mount if you have a stockpile of supplies.

To buy the mount, renown 3 is enough — it is the minimum threshold for access to Ponzo. However, reaching renown 12 makes the purchase cheaper (85 boulders instead of 170 bricks), and renown 20 unlocks the fastest way to acquire currency.

Each renown level requires 2,500 reputation points. There are 20 levels in total.

Sources of Reputation

• Zaralek Cavern story quests — a large one-time reputation bonus
• World quests — refreshed daily in Zaralek Cavern
• Weekly quest "Worthy Ally: Loamm Niffen" — extra reputation and a dig map
• Sniffenseeking — 3 digs per week grant reputation
• Rare enemies and events — killing rare mobs and participating in zone events
• Contract: Loamm Niffen — an inscribed scroll that grants additional reputation for any world quests on the Dragon Isles

Weekly Plan

1. Complete the weekly quest "Worthy Ally: Loamm Niffen" — it grants reputation and a dig map
2. Use all 3 Sniffenseeking digs with Myrrit (1 free, 1 from the weekly quest, 1 bought from Ponzo for bricks)
3. Run Cayanne's barter assignments for a steady influx of bricks
4. Collect ritual offerings and waterlogged bundles while traveling through the zone
5. Kill rare enemies — they are marked on the map with stars
6. Complete world quests in Zaralek Cavern for reputation

How Long It Will Take

With active play and completing all available activities, accumulating 170 Barter Bricks takes roughly 2–3 weeks. If you wait for renown 12, switching to Barter Boulders speeds up the process thanks to the more efficient ratio. At renown 20, the mount can be bought in a matter of days if you have a stockpile of Dragon Isles Supplies.

Time-Saving Tips

• Use the Contract: Loamm Niffen — every world quest on the Dragon Isles will grant additional reputation with the niffen
• Don't skip the weekly digs — they grant both reputation and bricks at the same time
• Buy the third dig map from Ponzo for 3 bricks — the investment pays off with the resources from the dig