The Hebra Mountains in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom present a challenging and unforgiving environment. However, the Ice Spikes accessory can simplify navigating its icy terrain. These spikes help reduce slipping on frozen surfaces, enabling you to explore and conquer this final area of the game more easily.
By the time you arrive at Hebra Mountain, you’ll likely have gathered several useful accessories throughout the game, leaving you with few remaining to find. Unlike many other items earned through completing side quests, the Ice Spikes are hidden within one of Hebra Mountain’s mini-dungeons. To acquire them, you’ll need to locate the cave first and defeat the enemies within to claim your reward.
Locating the Ice Spikes in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Using Traversal Echoes to Access the Cave Entrance
The cave you need to enter is located near the base of the snowy region on Hebra Mountain, just west of a waterfall. While there are various routes to reach it, dense fog covers Hebra Mountain, preventing any direct drops from above. Therefore, you’ll need to climb your way across the mountainside.
Begin your ascent from the eastern side, making your way toward the waterfall starting from Conde’s House. On your route, stop further east to defeat and absorb the Echo of an Ice Wizzrobe; this Echo is incredibly valuable for combat. After reaching the top of the waterfall, use a Flying Tile to jump over to the ledge just outside the cave entrance.
Alternatively, if you prefer to approach from the south and west, utilize the Platboom Echo. By this stage in your gameplay, you should be able to summon at least three of them, and you’ll need all three for reaching the cave. Get close to the cave entrance from below and stack the Platbooms to ascend.
Place one down, let it rise, then overlap it with another halfway on the last one. Repeat this until you reach the cave’s entrance. Having the Frog Ring will simplify the process, as it allows you to jump directly onto the Platboom without additional support.
After a few lifts with the Platbooms, you should find yourself on the cliff’s ledge. Before entering the cave, use an Ignizol or another fire-based Echo to melt the nearby ice crystal and obtain one of the game’s Might Crystals. Once you’ve done that, you can proceed inside to claim your Ice Spikes.
Navigating Through the Cave
Upon entering the cave, you’ll face a small chamber filled with Tektite Lv2s. These enemies are relatively easy to defeat. You can quickly handle them using your Swordfighter form or activate Tri’s Bind ability to allow one of your Boarblin or Darknut Echoes to handle them for you. Clear this room and then proceed to the cave’s main area.
The door to the second room will lock behind you, remaining closed until all foes in the chamber are taken care of. Inside, you’ll encounter more Tektite Lv2s along with several Ice Octos. Deploy a swarm of Keese to take down the Tektites, and then use a Fire Octo or two to handle the icy foes.
Ice Octos are susceptible to fire, making it easy to set them ablaze and watch them be defeated.
After vanquishing all enemies in the room, collect any rupees or items they drop. Head to the central area at the top of the room, where you’ll find a chest. Inside, the Ice Spikes await you, described as “Footwear equipped with spikes for gripping into the ice. Wearing these helps prevent slipping.”
Why You Should Get the Ice Spikes
The Challenges Posed by Ice
The Ice Spikes are essential for traversing the slippery heights of Hebra Mountain. It’s incredibly frustrating to slide uncontrollably into cold waters or right in the trajectory of projectiles, and the Ice Spikes provide the grip needed to prevent such mishaps. Although they are described as providing “help in preventing slipping,” it appears these footwear entirely eradicate slipping, based on observations in Watermaron‘s YouTube video.
If you’re tired of slipping down the slopes of Hebra Mountain, spending a little time to secure the Ice Spikes is definitely worth the effort. The main challenge is reaching the cave, but the enemies inside shouldn’t pose much of a threat once you’re there. It’s nice that The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom offers tools to mitigate some of its more frustrating mechanics, allowing players to fully enjoy this exciting installment in the series.
Source: Watermaron/YouTube
