Minecraft wiki entry for Speedrun, associated text: Once you reach the area of the stronghold, you can start digging, unless it's night and the surrounding area is good for hunting endermen. If not, dig a pit for your horse and head underground. You might want to dig straight down, or dig stairs since you will likely be returning to the surface. Turn up your volume and turn on subtitles to help find silverfish, which spawn inside the end portal room. Strongholds can be vast, so keep track of your progress. Open wooden doors are a sign you have already been there, but use your pickaxe to remove iron doors, or else mine down the wall next to it. Use torches or other blocks to mark areas you have explored. Once you find the end portal, place any eyes of ender you already have and figure out how many more you will need. Many players bring an extra ender pearl to teleport off the platform in the end, if necessary.