Gerudo Fortress
After the story sequence get out on the field and summon Epona with
Epona's Song. Ride to the West and enter the Gerudo Valley area. If you
speed her up enough Epona can jump over the broken bridge in the
beginning of this area. If you talk to the man there (he's the boss of
the carpenters, the guy you give the Poacher's Saw to in Adult Link's
Trading Sequence, he will explain that his carpenters are
in the fortress. Continue on to the fortress right ahead. Let one of the
guards see you and you'll be thrown in a cell. Now look up and notice
the overhang of your window. Hookshot to it. Then fall down to ground
level and go through the door right next to you. Follow the corridor and
you'll come to a cell. Talk to the guy in the cell (the first carpenter)
and you'll be attacked from behind by a Gerudo guard. I personally just
Z-targeted and blocked her first attack and then wailed on her by
holding forward and pushing B using Big Goron's sword. Also shooting her
with arrows from a good distance works well. There's probably plenty of
good techniques for this fight. You have to watch out though because one
of the attacks she has will knock you down and you'll end up back in
your cell.
Once she's gone she'll drop a key so use it to free the first carpenter.
Now continue on past the cell and go outside again. Turn left and go in
the door. Turn right in at the corner of this hallway and you'll see the
head of a guard poking out over a box. Shoot it with an arrow. Walk to
where she was and turn to look down the next hall. From there shoot down
the two guards in the next room. Go in the room (there's a Big Fairy
that can be summoned using Song of Storm near the stove) and go up the
ramp on the far side to an exit. When you are outside again turn right
and drop down and go through the door that's there. Now just stand in
the doorway with an arrow cocked and in a few seconds a guard will walk
by, so shoot her. Now go right, left, right and you'll be at the second
carpenter's cell. Talk to him, fight another guard, and free him.
Go back out where you came in and drop down one level. Turn left, climb
up some vines, and go through the door that's straight ahead of you (NOT
the one to the left). This is the third carpenter's room. Same process.
Once he's rescued, go back out the door you came in. Shoot the three
guards that are wandering around outside and drop down to ground level.
Turn left and go into the door furthest left, the one right before the
Gerudo in white clothes (Don't worry about her, she's not a guard she
just lets you into the Training Center later.) Follow this hall down to
the fourth and final carpenter and go through the same process to free
him. Now that he's free a Gerudo will talk to you and since you
are so skilled, you will get a membership card that lets you wander
around the fortress all you want and participate in the activities it
has to offer. Also, the bridge will now be fixed. Explore the fortress
and try the horse archery game if you want. When you're ready you can
try out the Gerudo Training Ground. If you're not interested in getting
the Ice Arrows yet (they are not necessary to beat the game) skip down
to the Desert Colossus section below.
