Ugh, need climbing set in NW

[fitzpa88]

I have a character rolling along pretty well, who I decided to take on my third-ever trip to the Library. Both of my climbing sets were destroyed in the initial fall down the Rift, and RL 1 does not appear to contain a ratling trader (presumably killed by another monster before I found it?). So...I need a climbing set. Character is level 19, so I can't yet go to the MM, which I'm not sure if would be a good idea anyway. Already got RotHK. So I guess the real question is....if I'm going to engage in the incredibly frustrating task of "kill things and hope for a climbing set to drop", is any level of RL/UC better odds than the rest (based on DL, which I am aware of but am far from expert)?

(mist elf wizard, Bracers of Pure Might in a surge of power, acquired boar skull without needing to be doomed, wanted non-fire ball spell before tackling any of IQD/DF/antediluvian...hope I haven't slow-motion killed him)

[Grond]

First cavernous level in UC would probably be the most practical. Climbing set, ring of djinni summoning, and wand of wishing (yeah, right) are all possibilities there. Farming wilderness encounters might also work, and if you want to attempt any potion of exchange/potion of raw chaos polymorphing on tools, the wilderness is the place to dip. Amusingly enough, giant boar skulls would be completely safe to dip in raw chaos.

[grobblewobble]

Dipping logs into potions of raw chaos would be ideal, but you'd need to carry the scythe of corruption and a hatchet.

[Grond]

You'd also need trees, which aren't available there until level 22.

[grobblewobble]

Wait, these do not grow in swamps? I remembered having built a bridge in the distant past to reach the skeleton king with trees from the nearby swamp.. was this changed? This makes the bridge building skill even worse than it already was, yikes.

edit: never mind, misremembered. Still, yikes. Poor bridge building skill.

[fitzpa88]

I do have Moon Sickle (indestructible!) but left all potions safe on D1, so I currently have poison, water, ultra healing, and an unidentified crimson potion. To UC cavernous! Good thing I'm a mist elf and can basically not eat.