Location of Snowpeak in Ocarina of Time

[Castle]

Okay. So, I know. I know. Continuity in the Zelda series, right? Well, it never hurts to theorize.

I wonder where the Snowpeak region has been prior to its appearance in Twilight Princess. Never since then has Hyrule ever had an icy highland region. Only Death Mountain and the surrounding highlands have ever been present in The Legend of Zelda series since the beginning.

Comparing the Ocarina of Time map of Hyrule with the map of Twilight Princess is problematic. To me, few things fit. Death mountain is in the wrong place. Zora's Domain is located too far away. Maybe they're the same Hyrule years apart, maybe not? Some of the geography does fit, although in most cases it's a bit of a stretch.

If the Snowpeak region has been around why hasn't it ever been mentioned in previous adventures? My guess is nobody knew about it. The question also arises as to what the Snowpeak Ruins is doing there. It is furnished like a private residence much like Ocarina of Time's Forest Temple, but it has the cannons, ramparts, battlements and armories of a fortress. Maybe the Yeti's furnished it? Who knows? But the furniture looks like it has been there for a while. I think it's more likely that the Yeti's repurposed it. One standing theory states that the ruins are what remains of a Hyrule expeditionary force set out to explore what was then an uncharted region on the frontier of Hyrule. That would explain all the guns. Perhaps knights braved the cold weather there in opulence? Or perhaps it is a private residence? Maybe it wasn't built by Hyrule anyway but rather some neighboring kingdom?

My biggest concern is where Snowpeak is located in Ocarina of Time. I think it might be part of the Death Mountain highlands, obviously an area not as volcanic and arid as what we've seen before. I don't think the geography of Hyrule permits for two separate mountain ranges, so I think Snowpeak is located further north in the Death Mountain highlands. Specifically, northwards of Zora's Domain.

In Twilight Princess Snowpeak is accessible through a cavern pass in Zora's Domain. In OoT Zora's Domain is located at the far eastern edge of the Death Mountain Highlands, just north of the forest. In Twilight Princess I assume that the cavern that was once Zora's Domain somehow disappeared and the fountain is the main living place of the Zoras. Either that or the area beneath the falls in TP is what remains of the cavern, now open to the air. In any case, there is a curious feature at the fountain in Ocarina of Time that has always intrigued me. If you stand on Jabu Jabu's platform and look north there appears to be a mountain pass lined by a row of trees on either side. It is a break in the hillsides surrounding the fountain. Often have I looked up at it and wondered what might lay beyond. Then it hit me.

In Ocarina of Time that pass may lead to Snowpeak. By Twilight Princess, when the cave provides passage into Snowpeak, the geography of the Death Mountain highland region in which Zora's Domain is situated seems to have changed quite a bit, most likely due to the waters of the font. But that pass is located in the same area. Some time after the adventure of the Hero of Time, a Hyrule expeditionary force lead by Hylian Knights (hence the armor, cannons, and overall militaristic nature of the ruins) may have set forth through that pass and into Snowpeak, later building the ruins as a base of operations in the region.

But it didn't last. Obviously. In Twilight Princess there isn't much to Snowpeak. There are few trails blazed through the mountain slopes. No settlements. No distinguishing features other than the ruins. My guess is that the expedition didn't discover much of anything up there and abandoned the fort, leaving it to succumb to the harsh winds of the icy cold region.

The biggest flaw in this "fountain pass" theory is the distance between Death Mountain and Zora's Domain in Twilight Princess. Honestly I can't make any sense of Death Mountain in TP. It doesn't even look like a mountain to me, more like a blazing fireball, and there doesn't really seem to be any surrounding highlands like in every previous game. But these inconsistencies have little to do with the theory, since Death Mountains location doesn't exactly figure in. It may be that there isn't much that remains of the Death Mountain highlands in TP, and that TPs Death Mountain isn't even the same mountain. Perhaps OoT's Death Mountain went dormant and the highlands weathered down around it while a new Death Mountain sprung up elsewhere? TPs death mountain does look new, given its odd look, and extremely active. The area surrounding it bears evidence of tectonic activity and appears rather arid, but is still relatively flat.

 

[Keeseman]

Death Mountain is actually in the correct place; the Wii flipped the map, but on the GameCube, Death Mountain is actually in the correct place. This also applies to Kakariko Village.

Why the map looks so different, even on the GameCube, is because Hyrule Castle and Castle Town moved locations between OoT and TP. I'm guessing that Zora's Domain probably did the same. I would also assume that much of the physical geography of Hyrule changed between the two games. The path up to Death Mountain likely experienced erosion. The Gorons probably changed up Goron City a bit, too. Kakariko village was abandoned (mostly, as we can see that only 3 people live there...), changing how it looks. The "walls" that enclosed Hyrule seem to have changed (obviously to change up gameplay, too).

On to Snowpeak. Look at this picture of the view from the top of Mount Doo- I mean, Death Mountain:

View attachment 30932

Basically, I used this photo to show how there are other mountains shown in OoT, meaning that Castle is correct in stating that there is a mountain range.

Here's another of Hyrule Field, taken around Lon Lon Ranch:

View attachment 30933
Lol, Running Man.

This shows how hard it is to see the area outside of Hyrule. I mean, why on earth are there giant walls blocking in Hyrule Field?

Anyway, from this picture (I tried searching all around Hyrule for a good view, and this was the best, guessing that Snowpeak should be located behind that general area), we can see that there is no way to prove where, in OoT, Snowpeak is. There is no way to prove that it is in Hyrule, or that it isn't. I looked all around from Hyrule Castle to Gerudo Valley to Death Mountain- and I couldn't get a glimpse of a snow-capped mountain. I didn't check nearby Jabu-Jabu, though, but I should have. Do you know if the mountains have snow on them? (I don't really feel like getting on the game again just to look for that )

I would naturally assume that Snowpeak does exist in OoT- we just can't see it.

This may be different in OoT3D, but I wouldn't know. One of my desktop backgrounds- artwork from OoT3D, apparently- told a different story, though. Look at this:

http://86bb71d19d3bcb79effc-d9e6924a0395cb1b5b9f03b7640d26eb.r91.cf1.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ocarina-of-time-3ds-artwork-link-rides-epona.jpg

This is clearly the OoT Hyrule Field, and we can clearly see snow-capped peaks. However, I haven't played OoT3D, so I wouldn't be able to say.

But I will conclude with this: There is no way to tell, from OoT on the N64, where Snowpeak is located. Long and complicated post, but I think we can reasonably conclude this.
I do also like your theory on how Snowpeak Ruins were created. Sounds reasonable enough to me.

 

[SpartanGibbles]

If we go by the assumption that Zora's Fountain from OoT eventually becomes the area beneath the waterfall in TP then the placing of Snowpeak actually becomes rather easy. From that area there are two major exits; the exit to the Zora throne room and the entrance to the Ice Cavern. I would guess that the passage that you go though in TP to get to the Snowpeak region used to be the Ice Cavern. Looking at the geography, the Ice Cavern is between Death Mountain and Zora's Fountain. Over time the Ice Cavern could have had a major collapse and opened up the path to Snowpeak that TP Link later takes. This is the only ice themed area we see outside of the room in Ganon's Castle in OoT so I think if we were to try to place Snowpeak in OoT Hyrule; then the Ice Cavern and the surrounding area would be the best bet.

 

[Castle]

Fascinating supporting evidence and conjecture!! Yes, the Ice Cavern is another likely candidate for providing access into Snowpeak.

To address one of your points, Spartan...

If we go by the assumption that Zora's Fountain from OoT eventually becomes the area beneath the waterfall in TP then the placing of Snowpeak actually becomes rather easy.

I don't think the area beneath the waterfall is Zora's Fountain. I think that basin is likely what remains of the cavern in which Zora's Domain was located in OoT. I assume that the roof of the cavern eroded and the cavern is now a basin open to the air. I think the Throne Room in TP is Zora's Fountain in OoT.

To expand on some of Keeseman's points...

The Gorons probably changed up Goron City a bit, too.

If by "changed up" you mean "it appears to be gone altogether"? I can't find any evidence of Goron City in TP. Most of the Goron's hangout for lack of a better term is, like Zora's Domain, open to the air.

You also mentioned Kakariko Village. Granted, Kakariko Village is in the vicinity of Death Mountain in TP, but I am not so certain it is the same Kakariko Village from Ocarina of Time. In Twilight Princess there are two Kakariko Villages, since there is strong evidence to imply that the Hidden Village in TP may have been Kakariko Village from OoT. Maybe I'm just not seeing the spacial relation between the two maps, but I can't see any correlation that makes Death Mountain fit relative to Zora's Domain in Twilight Princess.

Also bear in mind that when I speak of Snowpeak's presence in OoT I am talking about its presence within the context of the fiction, not its presence as an asset in the virtual environment. Obviously, there would be no reason to render the virtual geography of an entire region that players would never get to play.

 

[Keeseman]

Ah, yes. The Goron's new hidaway in TP is quite different, I agree. I under-exaggerated that a bit. There is, in fact, very little to no evidence for Goron city being the same.

The problem is, there is a huge gap of years between OoT and TP (I'm not sure... I believe it is around 30ish years), so that is the excuse that Nintendo has for such a large change in the Overworld and the familiar locations we all know and love. I naturally assume that so much has changed between the two games, allowing for these differences.

I did just think of something, though. Snowpeak is not in OoT, but it is in MM, right? Not Snowpeak, I know, but Snowhead, a very similar name?

The only other place on the Child Timeline we ever see like Snowpeak is Snowhead in MM, which predates TP chronologically.

So, could the OoT Link, the Hero of Time, have named a mountain- Snowpeak- after Snowhead, where he ventured in Termina?

I just found this on the Zelda Wiki, but interestingly, the name for Snowpeak in Spanish is "Pico Nevado", which is the same Spanish name for Snowhead...

 

[PatheticBarrel]

Interesting thought with Snowhead there.

I was always under the impression that TP took place about a century after OoT, as TWW and TP are at roughly the same time. This could allow for the erosion of Zora's Domain. I think the Goron's hangout seems to be more like a base of operations for the mine then the actual city. Perhaps we pass it on the way up? This would make sense if Old Kakariko is in it's correct spot, as then the path from there to Death Mountain is similar.

I do believe that the lake of ice just outside of Zora's Domain could be Jabu-Jabu's pond thing, possibly making the Ice Cavern that cave before you reach just before Snowpeak proper.

I think the idea of the manse being an old fort is really workable for the fiction.

Side thought: If you take a map of AoL's Hyrule and TP's Hyrule, you can actually get Kakariko's Graveyard and the Death Mountain Hotspring to line up with similar geographic areas on the AoL map. Give's some help with how the area might be laid out.

 

[Beauts]

At the end of OoT, Zora's Domain is still frozen. Once the ice thawed out, it may have caused some type of avalanche-style collapse of the domain into Zora's River. Anyway, if you look at the OoT map of Hyrule, I would still say Snowpeak is where or around where the ice cavern is. As a century passes, things change around. I can't speak for Goron City, though Death Mountain is a volcano so chances are that led to the destruction of the city, but I personally believe that Death Mountain is part of an actual mountain range a little distance from itself where Snowpeak is located. This would make sense for the view from Jabu Jabu's platform and just common sense, though sorry for my lack of evidence for this, I hope my explanation is decent.

 

[Castle]

Interesting correlations between Snowpeak and Snowhead, but noncontextually may have more to do with translation issues than contextual ones. I am doubtful that Snowpeak and Snowhead are one and the same or even related. There is evidence to suggest that Termina isn't even in the same world as Hyrule but a parallel dimension. As far as we know, Link, the Skullkid and the Mask Salesman are the only denizens of Hyrule to have been to Termina. Maybe there was more travel between Hyrule and Termina following Link's adventure? Unlikely, maybe, given the nature of the Lost Woods as the only known passage to Termina. I think it is thus unlikely that Hyrule's Snowpeak would have been named after Termina's Snowhead. It is even more unlikely that they are one and the same. The similarities between the two icy mountain regions and their names are apparent, however.

Whatever the case, it seems apparent that Snowpeak is located somewhere north of Zora's Domain. Somewhere within the Death Mountain highlands. If you look at the in game map of Hyrule in OoT, I believe Snowpeak exists in the clouded out area between Death Mountain and Zora's Domain with Zora's domain bearing the passage to Snowpeak either through the Ice Cavern or the mountain pass north of the font.