"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say."

The Walk to Rivendell and Beyond

458 MILES from Hobbiton to Rivendell! 

In the Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien, Frodo, Sam, and their companions travel from Bag End in Hobbiton to Rivendell. Our goal is to re-create their walk in our neighborhoods, parks, gyms, homes, and minds.

    “But in the meantime what course am I to take?” said Frodo. “Towards danger; but not too rashly, nor too straight,” answered the wizard [Gandalf]. “If you want my advice, make for Rivendell. That journey should not prove too perilous, though the Road is less easy than it was, and it will grow worse as the year fails.”    

    “Rivendell!” said Frodo. ”Very good: I will go east, and I will make for Rivendell. I will take Sam to visit the elves; he will be delighted.” He spoke lightly; but his heart was moved suddenly with a desire to see the house of Elrond Halfelven, and breathe the air of that deep valley where many of the Fair  Folk still dwelt in peace. - Fellowship of the Ring

Walk, run, hike, bike, blade, swim - if you can measure the distance, you can do this challenge.  Keep a log, and record your daily or weekly miles and the type of exercise. For walkers and hikers, you might want to invest in a walking meter, they look like wristwatches.  Otherwise, you can estimate your distance at 1 mile for every 20 minutes of brisk walking on a flat surface. Our original suggested deadline was the opening of The Return of the King, December 17, 2003. As this glorious day is now past, we are setting new goals, new times: 

If you would like to set a long term distance goal, choose any one of the following:

THE LORD OF THE RINGS:

458 miles: Go from Hobbiton to Rivendell.

462 miles: Set out with the Fellowship from Rivendell to Lothlorien.

389 miles: Travel through Moria and down the Anduin from Lothlorien to Rauros Falls.

355 miles: Follow the path of Merry and Pippin from Rauros to Isengard.

484 miles: Follow the path of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli from Rauros to Isengard.

470 miles: Follow Frodo and Sam on the quest from Rauros to Mt. Doom.

517 miles: Ride with Gandalf and Pippin from Isengard to Minas Tirith.

786 miles: Travel with Aragorn from Isengard to Dunharrow through the Paths of the Dead to Minas Tirith.

578 miles: Ride with Merry and the Rohirrim from Isengard to Dunharrow to Edoras to Minas Tirith.

138 miles: Follow Aragorn from Minas Tirith to the Morannon.

120 miles: Return for Aragorn’s crowning from the Morannon to Minas Tirith.

1625 miles: Take the road home with the hobbits from Minas Tirith to Hobbiton.

467 miles: Follow Frodo to the Grey Havens and return home with Sam.

THE HOBBIT:

397 miles: Travel with Bilbo from Bag End to Rivendell.

570 Miles: Travel with Bilbo from Rivendell to Lonely Mountain.

 

*You should see your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Just because Frodo walked 18 miles the first night, doesn't mean you have to! Hobbits, as we all know, are made of tougher stuff than men (and even women!).  Most of us have to work or go to school or raise our children, and that means we can't recreate the journey day by day (of course, maybe someday you will, when you can afford to take a monthlong holiday).  The important thing about this quest is your commitment to see it through to the end.  Choose a time frame that is realistic, and stick to it!  Our rules are very flexible.  We want everyone to create a challenge that will work for their lifestyles.

Our reference book is The Atlas of Middle-Earth- Karen W. Fonstad. Page 157 gives the date, hours traveled, mileage, where they ended, and even mph!! Mrs. Fonstad has graciously provided us with the most complete set of mileage charts in existence. She has journeyed to Rivendell following her own charts. You should also read the books as you journey to create vivid descriptions in your mind of the things you might see in Middle Earth as you journey.

A Few Friendly Suggestions:

1) Frodo didn't do it alone!  If Lord of the Rings teaches us nothing else, it shows us the resilience of a group endeavor.  If you can't find any walking buddies, join one of our online discussion groups found on the Community Page. The virtual support of our groups is the next best thing. If you still prefer to go it alone, then let Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, et al be your company.  Lord of the Rings is available on audiotapes and CDs.  There are also the soundtracks to the movies, and the Tolkien Ensemble has some beautiful CDs, which set the poems to music.

2) Any journey in Middle-Earth would be incomplete without a sturdy walking stick!  You'd be pleasantly surprised to see how a walking staff activates the imagination, enhancing the experience of any hike.

3) If you're taking a long journey, don't forget your water and lembas!  Exercise without fuel is worse than no exercise at all.  In lieu of lembas, you can wrap some graham crackers in leaves (okay okay, they didn't have lembas yet, picky picky, have an apple!)

4) Copy a map from Middle Earth books or from a Middle-Earth atlas, and mark your progress along the trail.  You will find some printable journals, milestones, and other tools for your journey (including our Milestones Celebrations Database for recording and keeping up with your mileage) on the Tools Page. This is the best suggestion I can make to keep you motivated.  To make your goal a physical reality, to have a daily visual reminder of your progress and goals can be that extra push you need to get you out of the door!

5) Don't think about the entire 458 miles at once.  Just think about making it to Buckleberry Ferry, and then Bree, etc. My suggested first milestone is the camping spot where Frodo and Sam spent their first night, 18 miles! Find some other milestones from hobbits’ journey here. 

Good luck, and may your journey to the Last Homely House be safe and successful! 

Namarie.

“The Road Goes Ever On..”

Jax (edited many times by Kally)

Our featured tools for your journey:

Interactive Location Finder: You enter your total mileage and we will figure out where you are between Hobbiton and Weathertop.

Milestones Celebrations: Sign up for free! Let us know each time you travel an additional twenty five miles and we’ll add a shield with your House’s color by your name.

Get a map!:

 

Buy the book!:

 

Audio tapes:

 

 

The Éowyn Challenge Web Site is operated by and is a fan site for fans of the Lord of the Rings Book Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien, 1954, Ballantine Books, and the Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy by New Line Cinemas and Director Peter Jackson. All quotes used on this site are either from the book series or the movie series, and we make no claim that these are own. Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law. If any copyright or trademark owner herein objects to our use of their material on this site, they should contact the webmaster and such material will be taken down immediately. All copyrights to original artwork, photography, or literature posted on this site are the property of their owners.

Walk to Rivendell artwork is by our Shieldmaiden Pansey Makehay.