Metal beams and rails in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom explained

(Image credit: Nintendo)

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How to use Ultrahand to cross beams
Where to learn Ultrahand

In Zelda Tears of the Kingdom beams and metal rails that connect various islands can be used to cross the gigantic gaps between them. It's technically possible to climb up onto the metal beams and precariously tightrope walk from island to island if you're very careful, but there's a better way: using the Ultrahand ability to create special railcarts or moving platforms that hook into the beams and allow you to cross safely. Here's how to use Ultrahand to cross beams in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, as well as how to find Ukouh Shrine to learn the essential Ultrahand skill if you're having trouble spotting it.

How to use Ultrahand to cross beams

After learning Ultrahand at Ukouh Shrine, head back to the first beam. You can see it on your map – it's that black curvy line linking from nearby the shrine to the other side of a wide chasm.

Here, you'll find some planks of wood and some large hooks. Simply use Ultrahand on the hooks by tapping L and pressing A over one of the hooks, allowing you to lift it up and rotate it using the R bumper and your right joystick.

Rotate the hook until the flat bottom part is lined up with the surface of one of the flat planks, and press A again to attach it to one of the short ends. Do the same with another hook on the other short end of the plank, and you should have a platform with two stable hooks. Now, cast Ultrahand again to lift the platform and carefully hook it over the beam. Press ZR to let go, and hop aboard – gravity will carry your platform down to the other side of the chasm.

This is also useful to bear in mind later when you run into the first Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Korok seed puzzle, since there are quite a few beams to travel across in the Sky Island map alone.

How to find Ukouh Shrine and get Ultrahand

You'll need Ultrahand to cross the first beam in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, and luckily the shrine where you learn it is not too far away. Ukouh Shrine is the first stop on your journey to collect all three Lights and abilities, and we have a guide to help you find all Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Sky Island shrine locations if you're feeling stuck.

Since the first beam puzzle is not too far away from Ukouh Shrine, you might stumble across it before you learn Ultrahand. You'll be able to see the shrine's tell-tale green glow from right next to the beam's starting point, so just hop back down and swim across the lake to access the shrine before continuing.

Jasmine is a Senior Staff Writer at GamesRadar+. Raised in Hong Kong and having graduated with an English Literature degree from Queen Mary, University of London, she began her journalism career as a freelancer with TheGamer and TechRadar Gaming before joining GR+ full-time in 2023. She now focuses predominantly on features content for GamesRadar+, attending game previews, and key international conferences such as Gamescom and Digital Dragons in between regular interviews, opinion pieces, and the occasional stint with the news or guides teams. In her spare time, you'll likely find Jasmine challenging her friends to a Resident Evil 2 speedrun, purchasing another book she's unlikely to read, or complaining about the weather.