Éowyn Challenge Pathway Mileage and
Descriptions
THE HOBBIT: Bag End to Rivendell
(397 Miles)
by
Karen Wynn Fonstad
Author of The Atlas of
Middle-earth
Note:
There is a significant difficulty with the distances for pathways from The
Hobbit, in that the daily travel
distances are far shorter than would seem reasonable. For detailed
discussion, see The Atlas.
|
________Total Cumulative Miles (incl. Bonus miles)
for your Personal Journey
thus far:
|
Cumulative
Miles
for Leg
|
Miles
from
last
Mile-
Post
|
Location/description at the
Milepost.
|
April 25 – Gandalf
comes to Bag End and proposes ‘an adventure’ to Bilbo. To get rid of
him,
Bilbo invites him to tea the next day.
|
April 26 – An Unexpected
Party.
Gandalf arrives with Thorin and Company ca. 4:00 p.m. Talk
late. Stay all night.
|
April 27 – Day 1: 11 miles
10:30 a.m. Gandalf finds Bilbo having Second Breakfast. Sends
him off.
|
0
|
0
|
Bilbo leaves Bag End
and runs south down the lane toward Hobbiton.
|
.5
|
.5
|
Crosses bridge across the Water. Turns east on the road to
Bywater.
|
5
|
4.5
|
Reaches The Green Dragon in Bywater by 11 a.m. [Note: an impossible feat, as
he would have had to run 2 minute miles!]. The dwarves have
a pony ready and
they leave almost immediately. Gandalf soon joins them. Turn SE on
Bywater Road. High banks with hedges rise on each side.
|
7
|
2
|
Reach the Great East Road. Turn east.
|
9
|
2
|
Pass Three-Farthing Stone.
|
11
|
2
|
Camp.
|
April 28 – Day 2: 12 miles
|
11
|
0
|
Continue east on the Road at a leisurely pace.
|
23
|
12
|
Frogmorton. Stay at The Floating Log.
|
April 29 – Day 3: 11 miles
|
23
|
0
|
Continue east on the Road at a leisurely pace.
|
34
|
11
|
See the trees of Woody End across the fields to the south.
Camp.
|
April 30 – Day 4: 11 miles
|
34
|
0
|
Continue east on the Road at a leisurely pace.
|
45
|
11
|
Reach the Brandywine Bridge.
Stay at the Bridge Inn.
|
May 1 – Day 5: 10 miles
|
45
|
0
|
Cross the Bridge. Road to Buckland goes south. Pass the High
Hay.
|
55
|
10
|
Stop for the night.
|
May 2 – Day 6: 10 miles
|
55
|
0
|
Continue east on the Road. The Old Forest appears south off
the Road.
|
61
|
6
|
The Old Forest is now quite close.
|
65
|
4
|
Camp next to the Road.
|
May 3 – Day 7
|
65
|
0
|
Continue east on the road. Land is sparsely settled.
|
69
|
4
|
To the south the Old Forest ends.
|
75
|
6
|
Camp.
|
May 4 – Day 8: 10 miles
|
75
|
0
|
Continue east at a leisurely pace. The most western slopes of
the Barrow-downs appear far to the south.
|
81
|
6
|
Barrow-downs continue. Between the Road and the Downs is a
hedge.
|
85
|
4
|
Reach Bree. Stay at The
Prancing Pony. Spend a late evening.
|
May 5 – Day 9: 6 miles
|
85
|
0
|
Stay at the inn much of the morning. Then skirt Bree-hill and
turn east.
|
86
|
1
|
Reach the South-gate of Bree. Leave village and ride east on
the road.
|
91
|
5
|
Camp next to a trail leading north into the Chetwood on
Bree-hill.
|
May 6 – Day 10: 10 miles
|
91
|
0
|
Ride east at a leisurely pace. Road runs ESE skirting the
Chetwood.
|
96
|
5
|
Continue downhill along road next to the heart of the Chetwood.
|
101
|
5
|
Stay at The Forsaken Inn: the last inn along the Great
East Road.
|
May 7 – Day 11: 12 miles
|
101
|
0
|
Leave a bit earlier. Ride southeast along the Road at a
comfortable pace.
|
107
|
6
|
Reach the east edge of the Chetwood. Scattered farms to the
south.
|
111
|
4
|
Begin to see the Midgewater Marshes off to the northeast.
|
113
|
2
|
Camp.
|
May 8 – Day 12: 12 miles
|
113
|
0
|
Road continues east-southeast.
|
117
|
4
|
Road runs gently downhill.
|
125
|
8
|
Due north lie the western edge of the Midgewater Marshes.
|
May 9 – Day 13: 12 miles
|
125
|
0
|
Road continues east-southeast.
|
133
|
8
|
Meet a traveller who hurries by.
|
137
|
4
|
Camp. Marshes to the north are now closer to the road.
|
May 10 – Day 14: 12 miles
|
137
|
0
|
Continue east-southeast at a comfortable pace. Weather nice.
|
143
|
6
|
Road curves more to the east. Marshes fill all the northern
horizon.
|
149
|
6
|
Camp due south of the Midgewater
Marshes.
|
May 11 – Day 15: 11 miles
|
149
|
0
|
Continue east at a comfortable pace.
|
155
|
6
|
Road continues east around southern edge of the Marshes.
|
160
|
5
|
Camp south of the road, away from the Marshes.
|
May 12 – Day 16: 10 miles
|
160
|
0
|
Continue east on the Road.
|
165
|
5
|
Road now turns slightly more to the north.
|
170
|
5
|
Reach the southeast tip of the Midgewater Marshes. Camp.
|
May 13 – Day 17: 10 miles
|
170
|
0
|
Road turns more to the northeast. Slowly begins to climb
uphill.
|
175
|
5
|
Weathertop is visible ahead, with the Weather Hills to its
north.
|
180
|
5
|
Camp. Open, rough lands on both sides of the road. Weather
pleasant.
|
May 14 – Day 18: 10 miles
|
180
|
0
|
Continue northeast on the Road at a comfortable pace.
|
185
|
5
|
Land now slopes slowly uphill toward Weathertop.
|
190
|
5
|
Weathertop rises more clearly ahead. Camp.
|
May 15 – Day 19: 10 miles
|
190
|
0
|
Road continues northeast, rising slowly.
|
195
|
5
|
Weathertop looms ahead and fills all the view.
|
200
|
5
|
Weathertop rises
immediately north of the Road. Camp at its foot.
|
May 16 – Day 20: 10 miles
|
200
|
0
|
Road continues northeast past Weathertop.
|
205
|
5
|
Road reaches southeastern foot of Weathertop.
|
210
|
5
|
Come to the last foothill below Weathertop. Camp at its foot.
|
May 17 – Day 21: 9 miles
|
210
|
0
|
Continue northeast on road, dropping slowly into the
‘Lone-lands’. Road
worsens.
|
215
|
5
|
South of the road are more rugged areas, covered with thickets.
|
219
|
4
|
Camp. Weather still is warm and clear.
|
May 18 – Day 22: 9 miles
|
219
|
0
|
Road still runs northeast. Weathertop is still visible
straight behind.
|
228
|
9
|
Camp.
|
May 19 – Day 23: 9 miles
|
237
|
9
|
Road deteriorates still more. Weathertop now appears lower.
Camp.
|
May 20 – Day 24: 9 miles
|
242
|
5
|
Road turns more east. Weathertop is no longer straight behind.
|
246
|
4
|
Continue east. Camp. Weather Hills still visible on the
western horizon.
|
May 21 – Day 25: 9 miles
|
255
|
9
|
Continue east on the Road. Camp.
|
May 22 – Day 26: 9 miles
|
264
|
9
|
Continue east. Far behind, the Weather Hills show less and
less. Ahead,
company begins to see the tops of the Trollshaws. Camp.
|
May 23 – Day 27: 9 miles
|
273
|
9
|
Continue east. Road is rough. Camp.
|
May 24 – Day 28: 9 miles
|
282
|
9
|
Continue east. Behind, Weather Hills have almost disappeared.
Ahead, dark
wooded hills appear higher. Camp.
|
May 25 – Day 29: 9 miles
|
291
|
9
|
Open country. No streams. Camp.
|
May 26 – Day 30: 9 miles
|
300
|
9
|
Road curves more to southeast. South of the road are bushes
and stunted
trees: wild and pathless. Camp north of the road.
|
May 27 – Day 31: 9 miles
|
309
|
9
|
Weather pleasant. Ahead, Trollshaws show clearly. Camp.
|
May 28 – Day 32: 8 miles
|
317
|
8
|
Road swings southeast through open country. Ahead on hills of
the
Trollshaws, can now see “old castles with an evil look.” Camp.
|
May 29 – Day 33: 15 miles
|
317
|
0
|
Continue southeast on road. Weather turns cold and wet.
|
323
|
6
|
Reach northeast end of a valley south of the road. Continue
on. Road now is
only a muddy track.
|
325
|
2
|
Nearly dark: cross The Last
Bridge. Stop to camp in clump of trees.
Realize Gandalf is missing. Pony bolts into river and loses baggage
with
food. See fire in trees on hillside to east. Decide to investigate.
|
332
|
7
|
No path through trees to fire. Reach fire: Trolls. Company captured.
(Note: This location is the
most difficult of the entire journey to reconcile with LOTR.
While logically, the Company probably went a mile or two at most, this
does not work at all
with the LOTR pathways. Even at a minimum, it should be at
least 7 miles from the bridge
to the Trolls. See detailed discussion and maps in The Atlas).
|
May 30 – Day 34: 12 miles
|
332
|
0
|
Gandalf keeps trolls arguing until dawn. Sun turns them to
stone.
|
Bonus Miles
|
2 miles – Gandalf and company follow trail to Troll-hole. Find
swords for
Thorin and Gandalf. Bilbo takes blade. Collect gold. Return to fire.
|
339
|
7
|
Continue down path and reach the Road. Bury gold and continue
east.
|
340
|
1
|
Road now turns southeast. Skirts hills of the Trollshaws.
|
344
|
4
|
Camp.
|
June 1 – Day 35: 16 miles
|
344
|
0
|
Leave early and make haste.
|
348
|
4
|
Enter woods. Continue east on road through woods.
|
350
|
2
|
Woods run into the valley on north.
|
355
|
5
|
Pass out-thrust ‘toe’ of a hill.
|
360
|
5
|
Camp near valley from the north.
|
June 2 – Day 36: 13 miles
|
360
|
0
|
Road now runs due east. With few provisions, they hurry along.
|
365
|
5
|
Can see ruins on hilltop to the north.
|
368
|
3
|
South of the Road, ravine of the Bruinen comes close. Road
turns NE.
|
370
|
2
|
Pass a valley from the north.
|
373
|
3
|
Camp.
|
June 3 – Day 37: 16 miles
|
373
|
0
|
Continue northeast. Road still hugs feet of the Trollshaws.
|
378
|
5
|
Cross a small stream. Road bends more northeast. The steep
ravine of the
Bruinen also runs east-northeast not far to the south.
|
380
|
2
|
Continue east-northeast along road . Ride very quickly.
|
385
|
5
|
Road runs gently downhill. Much grass on sides. Hills still on
the north.
|
388
|
3
|
Road drops through a cutting of red stone topped with tall
pines, then
crosses a long flat mile toward the river.
|
389
|
1
|
Reach the Ford of Bruinen.
Can see Misty Mountains clearly. Camp.
|
June 4 – Day 38: 8 miles
|
389
|
0
|
Cross the Ford of Bruinen.
|
390
|
1
|
Gandalf searches out the path. Must go carefully.
|
392
|
2
|
Path runs next to a steep gully on the left.
|
394
|
2
|
On the east, a deep ravine holds a waterfall.
|
396
|
2
|
Come to the sudden cliff into the valley of Rivendell. Ride
slowly down the
zig-zag path. Pines cling to the upper slopes, beech and oak below.
|
397
|
1
|
Lead the ponies across the narrow bridge over the upper
Bruinen. Reach the
‘Last Homely House’ in Rivendell.
|
________Total Cumulative Miles (incl. Bonus miles)
for your Personal Journey
thus far:
+397 Miles = The Hobbit: Bag
End to Rivendell
_________ = Your personal
Journey thus far
|