Death Mountain is a sacred and revered place to the Gorons and all other races living in Hyrule. It is also imposing, with its volcanic emissions and its towering heights a constant reminder to everyone of how small they truly are. The mountain stands immovable and eternal. It is like a monument that, by its unchanging nature, reminds all that they at the mercy of time.
When Link first sees the Death Mountain, it is in the far-off distance standing over the rest of this mysterious and vast landscape of Hyrule. Link has never seen the world outside of the forest; the massive formation almost seems to call to him.
Call to him it does. At the behest of Princess Zelda, Link journeys to Kakariko Village, the town nestled at the base of the mountain, to begin a quest to scale the peak to find the sacred stone that hides somewhere on it. Standing past the iron gates that protect the village from the mountain’s dangers, Link tilts his head up to stare at the summit. It’s still a ways away, but it’s definitely closer than the large mound he saw on the horizon when he first left Kokiri Forest.
A steady march up Death Mountain Trail is the only way to successfully reach the Gorons and all notable landmarks. It’s a man-made (or Goron-made) path, but it’s long and narrow, which means Link will have a difficult time evading the hazards along the way, such as the persistent Tektites that pursue Link and take any chance they get to lunge at him. Rolling, dodging, and shielding are all he can do as scrambles to the first turning point in the trail.
This first point is at the entrance to the Dodongo’s Cavern, a network of caves that supplies the Gorons with nutritious rocks. The entrance has been blocked by a massive boulder, however, and a nearby Goron, the first Link has ever seen, tells Link that the Gorons are threatened with starvation by being cut off from their food source. Link doesn’t know what to make of this terrible news, but he knows it might have an influence on his mission. He keeps climbing.
Further up, Link meets more Gorons, including some that are rolling down the trail and nearly hitting him as they do. The inhabitants of this summit are hazards themselves. At least Link knows he’s near the Goron Village. He also spots a hillside path that leads to a higher region of the mountain, but he’ll double back to check it out later. Right now, he has a new village to visit.
As many of you know, the trip to Goron Village does not go as expected, and after meeting with an eccentric chief and slaying some dinosaurs, Link finally nabs the sacred stone, the Goron’s Ruby, and is then free to explore the rest of the mountain. That means returning to that the upper path Link saw earlier.
Well, it more so means returning to that upper path, being blasted by a bevy of molten rocks, needing to return all the way to Castle Town to buy a Hylian Shield, and then returning to the upper path again. It’s a hassle, but Link is not willing to let his curiosity go unsatisfied. Link runs up the large incline, stops to pretend he’s a turtle a few times to avoid being crushed or burned, and catches his breath at the rocky cliffside that acts as a final deterrent to aspiring mountaineers.
It’s not enough of a deterrent, of course. Link makes the climb up the wall, taking a firm grip of the stony surface as he steadily ascends. He needs to stop occasionally to let his Slingshot handle some bothersome Skulltulas, but it’s good for him to take the breaks. With a little patience and perseverance, Link reaches the top and stumbles over cliff’s edge onto Death Mountain’s summit.
There’s more to see than Link expected. First, Link notices that Kaepora Gaebora is perched on a post and staring Link down. Link is still not sure how he feels about the owl, but after deciding to speak to him, Kaepora (eventually) explains that he’s willing to give Link a ride back down to Kakariko Village. Link keeps the offer in mind, but after making it this far, he’s not about to quit exploring.
Next to Kaepora is a massive cave entrance. Link enters, but once inside, he realizes that he’s venturing into the molten crater of the mountain. Navi also advises against staying, so Link turns around. There seems to be much to explore, but Link will have to come back when he feels he’s strong enough to endure the heat.
Back outside on the summit, Link spots a large crack in the wall close to the cave. Instinct takes over and he bombs the hole, which reveals another cave entrance. The interior of this one is vastly different than the lava-laden crater though, seeing as how this is actually one of the Fairy Fountains and the home to the Great Fairy of Power. Link summons her and is shocked by her appearance, but he accepts her gift of Magic power and a stronger Spin Attack. Why not, if she’s offering?
Link returns outside. There doesn’t seem to be much more to do, but that only means it’s the perfect time to stop and look out at the view. The rest of the kingdom looks so small and far away. He cannot even see the entrance to his home, the place where he stood and pondered how far off and grand the place where he now stands is. He’s come a long way, and he still has a long way to go. At least he got to stop and see all that he was working to protect. The perspective that the mountain offered was a gift. With nothing more to do, Link asks Kaepora for a ride and holds on tight as the bird whisks him down to Link’s normal heights, Link’s newfound understanding in tow.
