Tomb of Tihocan - Tall Room with Swinging Blade and
Room with Concealed Pressure Pads - Secret #1

After swimming through the long tunnel with the strong current, you'll surface in this tall, narrow room. Climb out of the water and kill a rat (2). Stand on the right side of the movable block and pull it once.

Then use it to climb onto the long ledge. From there, pull up onto the square corner ledge, then the long, gray block ledge above.

Unless you're desperate for ammo, ignore the shotgun shells (7) in the alcove for now. (If you're doing NG+ you'll probably want to go for the save crystal in the southwest corner.) There are 2 doorways at the top of the north wall. The one on the right leads to a secret. The one on the left leads to the rest of the level. If you're going for 100%, run onto the single square block, walk to the edge, and take a standing jump to grab the edge of the doorway on the right and pull up.

NOTE: If you don't care about getting all kills, pickups, and secrets, you can avoid the doorway on the right altogether. You'll miss an encounter with Pierre, as well as 3 crocodiles, 5 items, and secret #1. Pick up the main walkthrough at the TALL ROOM WITH LEDGES AND SWINGING BLADE (AGAIN), here.

Draw your preferred weapons (I like the shotgun here) and proceed into the passageway. Pierre DuPont will be waiting here. Shoot him a few times, then back up into the doorway. He should vanish when you break line of sight. If not, try hanging from the edge of the doorway.

Continue down the stairs where Pierre went. Go cautiously to avoid running into the chomping blades ahead. Stand as close to them as you can without getting cut. Listen to the sounds they make and on the second "clang" (i.e., when they start to separate), run or take a standing jump through them.

Continue down the stairs to an opening in the floor. Drop down and kill the crocodile (3) on the stairs below. (Or, hang from the doorway to get its attention, then pull up and shoot it with pistols.)

Proceed downstairs to the next small room, where you'll find some magnum clips and 2 boxes of shotgun shells (2-4). Now take a close look at the floor. There are 3 tiles that look different from the others—two in the northeast and southwest corners and one near the steps. These are actually pressure pads. Step on all three, in no particular order, to open a door concealing SECRET #1.

Inside is a small room with a slope that meets the floor, 3 taller angled blocks, and a small ledge above the first slope with some goodies on it. Position Lara with her back to the slope that meets the floor and her chest against the side of the lowest angled block. (The entrance will then be ahead and to the right.) Backflip onto the slope and hold the Jump button, and Lara will spring off the slope then jump forward onto each of the 3 angled blocks in turn, landing on the ledge above. Pick up the reward: a large medi pack and another box of shotgun ammo (5-6).

Drop down and return back up the stairs, past the blades, to the doorway at the top of the room where you met Pierre before.

[Tomb of Tihocan Walkthrough]