Snowhead Temple

Snowhead Temple is host to many neat tricks that rely on clever level manipulation to speed things up. These strategies are used to override more inherently obvious applications of hovering to achieve the same result in a faster and more efficient way. It is almost always possible to do anything in the temple with at least 1 skipped key and never raising the giant pillar, no matter what the stipulations.

Complete Temple Without Goron Mask

Considering that it is possible to enter the temple without Goron Mask, it is important to be able to get to the end without it, too. There are a few obstacles that must first be overcome to achieve this.

Block Skip

Discovered by ZeldaXMaster

To get past the first room without Goron Mask, one can simply push the block as Zora Link. If this option isn't available, or just too slow for your tastes, one can skip past the block completely. To do this, align to the wall to the right of the block, pivot down-left, then target and sidehop right to get in the block. A roll jump is enough to make it over the gap the block is supposed to fill. If one falls in the gap, it is possible to escape by means of a Zora gainer or song of soaring to the entrance.

Bridge Room Without Goron Mask

To get past the bridge room, one must simply get across the gap. The simplest way is to hookshot the crate on the other side. However, if it is not in your inventory, the gap to the left can be crossed with a zora roll jump or a long jump. And although it is not necessary, the gap to the bridge immediately in front of the door can be skipped by a zora roll jump and jumpslash or a chu recoil, which cuts corners and saves time. Both can be seen in action below.

Reach the Second Floor Early

Using a Weirdshot

After crossing the bridge room, go straight to the room with the eye switch and the bombchu instead of going left. Preform a weirdshot with the hookshot near the wall with the stray fairy chest alcove facing the side of the room with the door. The best positioning so that you can easily hookshot the chest is behind the map chest. Letting go of Z two frames after the red damage frame will also put your camera at a higher position, making the chest easier to reach.

"Scarecrow Skip"

Discovered by SwordlessLink

This method has been dubbed "Scarecrow Skip" as the scarecrow on the lower ledge used to be called to reach the second floor early. However even without the scarecrow's song it is possible, with a precise aim, to hookshot the torch on the second floor instead. To do so, stand near the corner but leave distance from the wall so that the torch is in sight, then aim the hookshot so that it's just over the wall and to the right of the torch.

Tall Block Room Without Goron Mask

This strategy need only be used if lacking hookshot. If you have hookshot and want to continue without Goron Mask, proceed to scarecrow skip. To get past the tall block room, the one with the yellow door frame in the main tower, if Zora Mask is in inventory, one can either climb the block and jump to the exit, or gainer right to the exit door (be sure to grab the key!). If you lack Zora Mask, 3 hovers off the ground is enough to make it on top of the block (or 2 with angle change and a sidehop to grab). Otherwise, grab the key in the bridge room and the key in this block room and open the locked door in the first room to skip the room completely. In a situation with Goron Mask but without Zora Mask or hookshot, a Goron bomb jump is enough to make it on top of the block.

Pillar Room Without Goron Mask

Once again, this strategy need only be used if lacking hookshot. If you have hookshot and want to continue without Goron Mask, proceed to scarecrow skip. To get past the pillar room without Goron Mask, a simple long jump is enough to cross the gap and get to the door. A simple jump as a Zora is also enough to cross the gap. In such an instance where one does have hookshot in this room, a hookshot to the crate on the other side also clears the gap to the other side.

Cross Bridges Without Goron Mask

By using a long jump or a recoil flip near the ends of the bridges, enough distance is given to cross between them. Note that chu recoils will not work as they stick to the walls.

Hookshot to Third Floor

With good precision and aim, it is possible to hookshot the torch above the fire arrow room without leaving the bridge its on. If hookshot is not in possession, one would simply long jump to the ice block to the left of the fire arrow room and ascend the stairs from there.

Hover to Top Floor

Hovering directly to the hall of snowballs takes you to the very top of the tower. This can be done from outside the locked door vertically, or horizontally from the torch just above it.

Recoil to Top Floor

As an alternative to hovering, one could take the locked door to the top. At this point, jumping down a level to the snowball chamber would be enough to take one to the highest level. Jumping down with a bomb to blow up the first snowball, then walking off with a chu and holding target and shield is enough to make it inside. A fire arrow and a well placed jumpslash is also enough to make it. However, it should be noted that if one wants to skip Goron Mask, hovering at some point is required.

Hover to Boss Door

The last obstacle to overcome if trying to skip Goron Mask is actually getting to the boss door. The only way to do this is by means of hovering, and the most efficient place to do so is horizontally on the top floor. Note that the slope of the ramp cancels ISG, so it is very important to backflip directly over it. Of course, with Goron Mask, one could simply roll across to the other side.

Boss Key Skip

By getting out of bounds and avoiding unloaded rooms, it is possible to get to the loading zone of the boss room.

1 Explosive Method

Discovered by Unreal

This is the fastest and most efficient method of skipping the boss key, and the only way that does not require hovering. A simple bomb or blast mask recoil flip on the right corner gets you out of bounds, then from there it is possible to jump directly to the loading zone. An easy way to do this is to align the top of the game clock with the gray texture of the door frame, then do a side recoil, immediately releasing all buttons after and holding the control stick right so that Link jumps inside.

Fairy Strategies

When going for all the fairies, it is possible to use some clever strategies that can also work around a limited amount of items in the inventory, which is very useful in a race to get Double Magic as fast as possible.

Bring Hot Spring Water

With duped bottles in inventory, any hot spring water collected in a duped bottle will never cool. If it is brought, usually only one is really helpful. In most cases, and in normal circumstances, the best ice block to melt is the one blocking the green door frame in the main room. This is so that one can get the fairy within before getting the fire arrows, which prevents them from having to drop down and go back up. In a case where one tries to get Double Magic without the quiver, it is best to melt the ice block to the side of the fire arrow room, as it is the only piece of ice in the entire temple that cannot be skipped without hovering or hookshot.

Chu Roll to Bridge Room Fairy

In a scenario where one has no projectiles to work with, or where someone tries to collect all fairies using the best method possible, the fairy in the pillar in the bridge room can be consistently gotten with a well placed chu. Immediately after the long jump, align the top of the game clock to the middle of the freezard on the opposite side then shield drop a chu after 2 flashes to get the fairy. An alternative to this is to jump down and jumpslash the bubble, which is considerably slower.

Recoil to Switch in Ice

Discovered by Kaztalek, jump discovered by Kazooie

In the room with the frozen blocks, switch, and wolfos, one can get everything they need without melting any ice. To get to the crate with the fairy in it, a long jump from the top (which should be where you enter from, effectively skipping the key), a hookshot directly to it, or a well placed bomb throw. Using one of the former two options, it is effective to do a recoil directly from there to the switch activating the fairy chest, as it blows up the crate at the same time (a long jump works as well). The timing is tricky, but the idea is to align with the middle edge of the crate, look at the switch so that it's in a direct line, then turn around and backflip, and recoiling a certain time afterwards (remembering to let go of both back and shield!) to land on the switch.


If this proves too difficult, there are 2 easier alternatives. One is to jump to the pillar across from the crate, then jump directly onto the switch without recoiling. The other is to go to the top level near the entrance, and stand on the direct corner closest to the switch, then line it up and do an immediate chu recoil directly to the switch. If lacking hookshot, a long jump from the top of the compass chest is enough to make it back. Also, if lacking hookshot, one has to do 3 hovers up or a Goron bomb jump to actually reach the fairy chest that spawns from the chest.

Ice Stalactite Room Without Bow

It is usually important to grab both the key and the fairy in this room, and there are a variety of ways to do so. If hookshot is in possession, using a chu, one can immediately blow up the snowball, then hookshot directly to the key chest, and from there hookshot directly to the fairy chest. If not, it is possible to jump from the 2 small pillars to the hidden aclove with the fairy in it. From there, 2 very precise roll jumps to the pillars not blocked with ice can make it to the snowball. Long jumps can be used in its place to make it easier, or alternatively a Goron bomb jump from the platform just below is enough to make it.

Goron Pillar Fairy Without Projectiles

Normally it is best to hit the hidden fairy bubble in this room with hookshot or bow. If lacking these items, one can get this fairy by aligning parallel to the door and shield dropping a chu after 2 flashes.

High Alcove Fairy Chest Without Invisible Platforms

For documentation purposes, it is not immediately obvious that one can skip the invisible platforms in the map chest room to get to the fairy with a well placed hookshot.

Sidehop directly to Main Room Fairy Alcove, Hookshot Back Up

For a fast and nifty way of reaching the hidden aclove with the fairy without scarecrow song, one needs to hookshot to top floor standing a bit to the right of the left corner. This aligns perfectly for 2 right sidehops, putting you directly in the aclove. To get back up, go to the left edge and hookshot the torch you sidehopped from.

Last Alcove Fairy Without Projectiles

With some distance and good aim, it is possible to throw a bomb directly into the hidden aclove to get the fairy, without the normal use of bow or hookshot.

Skip 1st Ice Block

Discovered by Kaztalek

To get the fairy in the room with the freezards blocked by ice blocks, one can either do a wastefully long hover from the basement, or opt for a more clever method that doesn't require ISG. On the walkway outside the top locked door in the main room, doing a recoil directly underneath with the right timing will put you on the ceiling of the fire arrow room, but out of bounds (The most tried and true method is recoiling after a small jump off the platform). From here, a jump to the left is enough to make it to the room with the switch you normally have to goron pound. Enter the door here to get in the room.

Skip 3rd Ice Block

To get all of the fairies without melting the ice blocking the way to the lizalfos room, the solution is as simple as getting the fairy in the top locked door, then hovering to the snowball chamber to make it to the top, then doing a recoil flip down to the door that is normally the exit of the lizalfos room. You are then free to get the fairies.


Boss Key Early

With a superslide or recoil flip into an acute angle, it is possible to land directly into the unloaded second wizrobe room. From there, open the door that leads to the boss key. Alternatively, it is possible to get directly into this room by taking the flower just outside of the boss door through the wall above the key. Once in this room, it is impossible to get out without deathwarping, song of soaring, or going back and fighting the wizrobe. Due to this, in instances where one must get the boss key it usually better to just fight the wizrobe normally.

Last updated 06/14/2014 – Razor7581