Guides / The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo Switch 2)
Death Mountain Trail & Goron City
Link climbs Death Mountain Trail from Kakariko Village to enter Goron City, lifts Patriarch Darunia's spirits to receive the Goron's Bracelet, and uses a Bomb Flower to unseal Dodongo's Cavern.
Getting there: From Kakariko Village exit gate, present Zelda's Letter to the gate guard to access the trail, follow the lower trail around the cliff bends, and take the lower branch at the mountain fork into Goron City.
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Before you leave
- •Red Tektites can easily knock you backward off the narrow trail if you rush past them blindly.
- •Standing directly in the middle track will knock Link down until you obtain explosives to halt the rolling Goron.
- •Playing any tune other than Saria's Song will fail to cheer Darunia up and won't earn you the bracelet.
- •Lingering too close to the plucked Bomb Flower or mistiming your drop can cause explosive self-damage or miss the roof ledge.
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Items
0/2Route
6 steps- 1
Passing the Trailhead Gate. Present Zelda's Letter to the guard at Kakariko Village exit gate to open the trail
- 2
Ascending the Lower Trail. Follow the trail past Red Tektites and a sealed cavern to reach the mountain fork
⚠ Red Tektites can easily knock you backward off the narrow trail if you rush past them blindly.
- 3
Exploring Goron City's Levels. Take the lower path at the mountain fork and descend Goron City's ramps to the base floor
⚠ Standing directly in the middle track will knock Link down until you obtain explosives to halt the rolling Goron.
- 4
Audience with Darunia. Open Darunia's door with Zelda's Lullaby and play Saria's Song to get the Goron's Bracelet
⚠ Playing any tune other than Saria's Song will fail to cheer Darunia up and won't earn you the bracelet.
- 5
Activating the Great Urn. Carry flame from Darunia's room with a Deku Stick to ignite the 4 braziers around the urn
- 6
Unsealing Dodongo's Cavern and Claiming the Heart Piece. Toss a wild Bomb Flower onto the rock below and drop onto the roof platform for the Heart Piece
⚠ Lingering too close to the plucked Bomb Flower or mistiming your drop can cause explosive self-damage or miss the roof ledge.
Choices here
1| Choice | Options and what happens | Most players pick |
|---|---|---|
| Route to Saria's SongWhen you need Saria's Song to cheer up Darunia but have not learned it yet | Backtrack to Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods through Kakariko Village: Leads back along the standard overland path to the Sacred Forest MeadowLight the braziers using a Deku Stick and destroy the cracked wall inside Goron City: Unlocks a direct shortcut tunnel straight into the Lost Woods | Light braziers with a Deku Stick and blast the cracked wall in Goron City |
Key fights
3| Fight | Watch for | Weaknesses and resistances | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red TektitesRed Tektites | Jumping erratic attacks that can knock Link off edges or cause damageTactics: Target-lock with your Slingshot or wait for them to land and use standard sword slashes or jumping slashes | ||
| Rolling Goron HazardRolling Goron | Colliding with Link and knocking him down if standing in his trackTactics: Step into side alcoves or jump over the tracks to avoid him until you have bombs to stop him | ||
| Bomb Flower Handling | Self-damage from premature detonationTactics: Once Goron's Bracelet is equipped, pluck the flower, turn to the fence edge, throw immediately down toward the cavern entrance, and step away to avoid explosive radius damage |
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The full walkthrough text
Link climbs Death Mountain Trail from Kakariko Village to enter Goron City, lifts Patriarch Darunia's spirits to receive the Goron's Bracelet, and uses a Bomb Flower to unseal Dodongo's Cavern.
1. Passing the Trailhead Gate
Present Zelda's Letter to the guard stationed at the Kakariko Village exit gate to have him open the path to Death Mountain Trail. You can choose to backtrack to Castle Town now to pick up a sturdy Hylian Shield that resists fire and begin the mask-trading quest, or continue directly uphill with your Deku Shield.
Tip: Grabbing the Hylian Shield early prevents your wooden Deku Shield from being incinerated later.
2. Ascending the Lower Trail
Follow the dirt trail around the cliff bends, keeping an eye out for erratic Red Tektites that leap toward you. Strike them down with your Slingshot or time your sword slashes when they land, passing a stone signpost and a Goron standing next to a sealed cavern entrance before reaching the mountain fork.
Tip: Target-lock jumping Red Tektites from a distance with your Slingshot to defeat them safely before they knock you off cliffs.
3. Exploring Goron City's Levels
Take the lower path at the mountain fork to enter the cavernous Goron City tunnel, winding down the ramps past a massive central urn. Sidestep into wall alcoves to avoid a rolling Goron who continuously patrols the middle level tracks until you reach the base floor where the Goron Shop Trader is stationed.
Tip: Duck into side alcoves whenever you hear the rolling Goron rumbling along his track to dodge collision damage.
4. Audience with Darunia
Stand on the royal crest rug outside the sealed door on the lowest floor and play Zelda's Lullaby to open the way into Darunia's Chamber. Inside, play Saria's Song to cheer up the stressed leader, which makes him dance and rewards you with the Goron's Bracelet.
Tip: If you lack Saria's Song, you can light a Deku Stick to blast open the city's shortcut to the Lost Woods instead of trekking all the way back through Kakariko.
5. Activating the Great Urn
Light a Deku Stick using the burning braziers inside Darunia's Chamber and quickly carry the flame out to the base floor. Ignite all 4 unlit braziers encircling the giant urn to cause the structure to start spinning and change its facial expressions, creating an opening to drop explosives inside for prizes.
Tip: Run directly between the four base braziers before your Deku Stick burns away to trigger the urn's rotation in a single attempt.
6. Unsealing Dodongo's Cavern and Claiming the Heart Piece
Return outside to the high cliff ledge overlooking the boulder-blocked Dodongo's Cavern and pluck a wild Bomb Flower now that you possess the Goron's Bracelet. Immediately heave the Bomb Flower over the wooden fence down onto the blocking rock, step back to evade the blast radius, and carefully drop down onto the cavern roof platform to collect a Heart Piece before entering the dungeon.
Tip: Throw the wild Bomb Flower as soon as you pluck it to avoid taking damage from a premature detonation in your hands.
The short version
What matters
- Playing Saria's Song to Darunia to earn the Goron's Bracelet, which is required to lift Bomb Flowers.
- Tossing the wild Bomb Flower over the wooden fence to blow up the boulder sealing Dodongo's Cavern.
- Dropping carefully onto the roof platform over Dodongo's Cavern's entrance to collect the Heart Piece.
Common mistakes
- Standing in the middle level tracks without ducking into alcoves, resulting in repeated knockdowns from the rolling Goron.
- Holding a plucked Bomb Flower too long on the cliff edge; throw it immediately over the fence to prevent explosive damage to yourself.
What you can skip
- Trying to halt the rolling Goron on the middle level before you acquire explosives.
24 facts on this page · 0 checked · 24 still being checked · from nintendolife.com, eurogamer.net, linkshideaway.com
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