I did all this with portals, beds here and there, had 10 Frost Meads but nevertheless I died a lot in the mountains. The mead was used up fast.

And I think to have 20 Frost Mead at your last bed....that is a lot of work.

Yeah...backup gear, backup backup gear and if you die 5 times you need backup backup backup backup gear, of course all Iron+4?

I think it is too punishing. Because it assumes the player does not die a lot, but in this game you do die a lot.

Just my opinion, but I think the devs went too far here.