Hookshot Ascent

In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Hookshot Ascent is a one-off shortcut performed on the south-facing terrace of the Water Temple's central column. You start on 2F (the middle floor). Usually the water in the temple will be at this level too, but this is not necessary. The Hookshot Ascent allows you to ascend to 3F.

Facing inwards towards the column, stand just to the right of the brown buoyant block on 2F and look up and left. You'll see a Hookshot target, directly over a gap in the 3F terrace. Stand almost against the wall. Pull out your Hookshot and aim up and sideways. The Hookshot target is almost side-on at this point so it's a small target. Latch onto it.

If you're successful you'll be pulled up to the Hookshot target. However, because of the gap in the 3F terrace, you'll fall back down to 2F again (or, if the water level is still at 1F, you'll fall all the way back to 1F - not good). To complete the manoeuvre, therefore, as soon as you are released at the Hookshot target, do a jumping sword attack (press A) to take you just a little further horizontally, and land on the 3F terrace.

This is tricky. If you connect with the wall during the jump attack, you'll ricochet backwards, which is why you need to stand at a very shallow angle. However, with practice you can do it consistently.

(It is just about possible to do the same thing to travel from 1F to 2F, but this is much, much more difficult. An easier way to do this is to simply warp to Lake Hylia and re-enter the Water Temple, then drop to the 2F terrace from 3F south.)

History

This trick was devised by Sam Hughes.

Video

• Hookshot Ascent by Mike Damiani (6.88MiB)