You’re standing on the top of Mount Granajh. It’s freezing. Link is shivering because you probably forgot to cook enough spicy peppers, and you’re looking at a pedestal that looks like every other pedestal in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But this one is different. It’s just sitting there, glowing orange, doing absolutely nothing while you stare at it. Most players stumble upon the Secret of the Snowy Peaks BOTW quest by accident while exploring the southwestern edge of the Map, specifically the Wasteland Tower region.
It's a puzzle that feels broken if you don’t know the specific timing. Honestly, it’s one of those classic Nintendo moments where the solution is staring you in the face, but because the game doesn't hold your hand, you might spend twenty minutes throwing bombs at a wall or trying to melt ice that doesn't need melting.
Where Exactly Is This Thing?
First off, let’s get the location straight. You need to head to the Sumit of Mount Granajh. It’s located in the South Range of the Gerudo Highlands. If you haven't found it yet, look for a ruined shack called the Mountain Sanctuary. Inside that shack, you’ll find a diary.
Reading that diary is what actually triggers the Shrine Quest. The text mentions a "shining pedestal" and a "secret" hidden in the snowy peaks. The diary belonged to an adventurer who spent his life trying to figure out why the pedestal glows at a specific time. He failed. You, hopefully, won't.
The Gear You Actually Need
Don't go up there naked. Well, you can, but it’s annoying. You need Level 2 Cold Resistance. This means either the Snowquill Set from Rito Village or a combination of the Warm Doublet and some spicy food.
Actually, there is a trick. If you carry a Flameblade or a Great Flameblade on your back, it provides a passive level of warmth. It’s a literal life-saver if you’re low on resources. You also need a snowball. Just one. Luckily, the mountain is covered in them.
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Cracking the Secret of the Snowy Peaks BOTW
Here is the "aha!" moment. The pedestal only activates when a shadow is cast directly onto its center. But not just any shadow. It has to be a circular shadow.
The sun moves across the sky in Breath of the Wild just like in real life. Between 16:00 and 17:30 (that’s 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM in-game time), the sun hits a specific angle where it shines right over the pedestal toward the cliffside.
You need to pick up one of the small snowballs nearby. Hold it over your head. Stand between the sun and the pedestal.
The Timing is Everything
If you stand there at noon, nothing happens. If you stand there at 6:00 PM, the sun has already dipped too low. You have a very narrow window of about 90 seconds in real-time to get this right.
Watch the shadow of the snowball. You’ll see it moving across the ground as the minutes tick by on your HUD. You want that round shadow to perfectly overlap the glowing center of the pedestal. When it hits the sweet spot, the pedestal turns from orange to blue.
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A cutscene triggers. The ground shakes. The Suma Sahma Shrine rises out of the earth nearby.
Common Mistakes People Make
I've seen people try to use Cryonis blocks. It doesn't work. The shadow isn't the right shape. I’ve seen people try to use their own shadow. Link is too skinny; his shadow doesn't cover enough surface area to trigger the mechanism.
Another weird thing? The snowball grows. If you roll it around too much, it becomes a giant boulder. If the snowball gets too big, the shadow becomes too large, and it's actually harder to aim. Keep it small. If you mess up and the snowball breaks or gets too big, just run away and come back, or save and reload to reset the spawns.
Is the Shrine Hard?
Actually, no. The Suma Sahma Shrine is a Rauru’s Blessing shrine. This means the puzzle was getting into the shrine. Once you’re inside, there are no more trials. You just walk up, grab the chest (which contains a Moonlight Scimitar, usually), and collect your Spirit Orb.
It feels like a bit of a letdown after all that mountain climbing, but hey, a free orb is a free orb.
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Why This Quest Matters for 100% Completionists
If you’re trying to finish all 120 shrines in the base game, you can’t skip this. It’s one of the few "environmental" puzzles that requires you to interact with the sun’s position.
Most quests in the Gerudo region involve sand seals or lightning, so this snowy outlier feels unique. It’s a callback to older Zelda games, like Ocarina of Time, where light and shadows played a bigger role in dungeon progression.
Troubleshooting the Shadow
Sometimes the weather won't cooperate. If it’s snowing or cloudy, the sun won't cast a shadow. The pedestal won't turn blue.
If the weather is bad, sit by a campfire. You can make one easily with a piece of flint and a bundle of wood (or just hit wood with a flame weapon). Pass the time until morning and then wait until 16:00 again. Mount Granajh is notorious for sudden blizzards, so you might have to sit by that fire two or three times before you get a clear sky.
Also, make sure you aren't standing too far back. If you’re too far from the pedestal, the shadow of the snowball will be too faint or diffused to register. Stand right on the edge of the cliff, facing the sun, so your shadow falls directly onto the stone.
Summary of Actionable Steps
To wrap this up and get you that Spirit Orb, follow this exact sequence:
- Travel to the Gerudo Highlands, specifically Mount Granajh.
- Equip cold protection gear or a fire weapon.
- Locate the glowing pedestal near the ruined shack.
- Wait until the in-game clock reaches 16:00.
- Pick up a small snowball nearby.
- Hold the snowball over your head and position yourself so its shadow covers the center of the pedestal.
- Enter the Suma Sahma Shrine once it appears.
The Secret of the Snowy Peaks BOTW is less about combat and more about patience. Once you understand that the game is asking you to be a human sundial, the frustration disappears. Just keep an eye on that clock and make sure your snowball doesn't melt.