Éowyn
Challenge Pathway Mileage and Descriptions
BAG END TO RIVENDELL
by
Karen Wynn Fonstad
Author of The Atlas of
Middle-earth
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Sept. 23 – Day 1
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0
|
0
|
Leave Bag End at full dark (est. 7 p.m.). Go around (W) end,
jump hedge.
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1
|
1
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Go through gate into a lane. Head west.
|
2
|
2
|
Leave land, follow hedgerows south.
|
3
|
3
|
Cross The Water on a plank bridge.
|
5
|
5
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Cross The Great Road from the Brandywine Bridge. Enter
Tookland.
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7.5
|
7.5
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Look back at lights of Hobbiton from first slopes of the Green
Hill Country.
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9
|
9
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Hobbiton hidden as slopes rise and fall.
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11
|
11
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Eat a frugal supper (est. 10 p.m.) “Three hours” after leaving
B.E.
|
14.5
|
14.5
|
Reach Stock Road.
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15.5
|
15.5
|
Begin to sing. Walking through a deeply cloven track between
tall trees.
|
17.5
|
17.5
|
Climb a steep slope. Pippins yawns (“Nearly midnight”).
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18
|
18
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CAMP - In a firwood just over top of the hill. Sleep by a
large tree. Fox sees
them.
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Sept. 24 – Day 2
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18
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0
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Eat at campsite. Water from a stream at the foot of the hill.
“A little fall where
the water fell a few feet over an outcrop of grey stone.” After 10:00
a.m.
when leave.
|
20-28
|
1-10
|
Road rolls up and down.
|
29
|
11
|
Road zig-zigs to top of a steep bank and goes down for the
last time. Can see
across Woody End to the River. **THEY STOP TO REST, EAT, and REST
more! (Est. 1:30-4:00 p.m.) Sun was ‘beginning to get low’ as they went
down the hill.
|
32
|
13
|
Road ahead runs fairly straight and level. Behind them it
curves slightly. (ca. 5
pm) BLACK RIDER. Sam & Pip hide in a hollow. Frodo behind tree by
road.
|
35
|
17
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Keep a stone’s throw left of the road...slower going.
|
37
|
19
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Road splits. Road to Stock bends left and goes down into the
lowlands. They
take a lane which branches to the right, winding through a wood of
ancient
Oaks. “Sun down and evening coming on” - ca. 6:30 p.m.
|
38
|
20
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Not far from the road-meeting they creep inside a huge tree.
EAT and REST. Go on in twilight. Begin to sing. (ca. 7:00 p.m.)
|
41
|
23
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“And NOW to bed!” Pippin says, when BLACK RIDER is heard
again. (ca.
9:00 p.m.) ELVES arrive, RIDER leaves, and Frodo & Co. continue
with
Elves.
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42-44
|
24-26
|
Wood more dense, and lane went lower, running in a fold of
hills, with hazel
on the slopes alongside. Pippin quickly becomes sleepy.
|
45
|
27
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Turn right off the path on ‘a green ride’ through thickets.
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46
|
28
|
CAMP - Woody End. A green floor in the wood, roofed by boughs
of trees.
To the east a steep shoulder falls, and they can overlook the river
valley. The
lights of the village of Woodhall can be seen below. (ca. 11 p.m.)
|
Sept. 25 – Day 3
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46
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0
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Sleep late. (Est. Leaving time 11:00 a.m.) Frodo decides to
cut SE to
Buckleberry Ferry. Scramble down hill into the thick trees below. It
begins to
cloud up.
|
47
|
1
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A deep-banked stream below the hill cuts across their path.
Looking back,
they see a Black Rider on the hillcrest where they had camped. They
force
through the bushes alongside the stream.
|
48
|
2
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Pippin realizes it is the Stock-brook. The banks are low
enough now for them
to cross. The land on its south bank is wet and reedy.
|
50
|
4
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They reach a belt of trees, mostly oaks with a few elms and
ash. Drops of rain
fall.
|
52
|
6
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Pippin realizes they’ve turned too far south as they are still
in the trees.
|
54
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8
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Still in the trees, they stop for LUNCH (ca. 2:00). Their
singing is cut by the
cry of a Black Rider, and they leave (ca. 3:00).
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55
|
9
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Wood ends. The land steadily becomes more tame. Sun is shining
brightly.
|
56
|
10
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Reach area with fields, meadows, hedges, gates, and drainage
dikes.
|
61
|
15
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Edges of fields worked by Farmer Maggot.
|
62
|
16
|
After a turnip field there is a stout gate to a rutted lane,
edged by hedges.
|
63
|
17
|
Farmer Maggot’s house and buildings: brick with thatched
roofs, surrounded
by a high wall cut by a wooden gate from the lane. EAT. (Est. time
there: 5:30
- 7:00 Full dark when they leave.).
|
65
|
19
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Farmer Maggot’s lane meets the Causeway to Buckleberry Ferry.
Ride in
wagon.
|
70
|
24
|
Boggy land all around. Foggy. Merry meets them at the Ferry
landing. As they
reach the other side of the river, they can see a Black Rider on the
west shore.
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70.5
|
24.5
|
Taking the main road north from the Ferry, Buck Hill is on the
left and
Buckleberry on the right. They take a lane to the right, and climb up
and down
into the country.
|
73
|
27
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CRICKHOLLOW - spend the night. “A Conspiracy Unmasked”.
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Sept. 26 – Day 4
|
73
|
0
|
Leave Crickhollow soon after 6:00 a.m. Foggy. Ride ponies
slowly.
|
76
|
3
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Enter tunnel under Hedge to reach The Old Forest. Path
disappears. (ca. 7:15
a.m.)
|
78
|
5
|
The Bonfire Glade - clear path beyond. Sunny, but not yet in
clearing (ca. 8
a.m.)
|
78-87
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5-14
|
On path in the Forest. Path climbs gently.
|
87
|
14
|
Top of knoll in Forest. Hazy. Surrounded by trees. EAT, rest
(11 a.m.-ca.1
p.m.)
|
88
|
15
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Path veers SE. Co. leaves path & tries to turn N.
|
88-91
|
15-18
|
Cross series of deep folds running SE. Keep turning east. Lose
direction.
|
91
|
18
|
Enter fold too deep to leave. Follow it SE to Withywindle.
(ca. 4 p.m.)
|
93
|
20
|
Merry finds path along bank of the River. Follow it east
through wetlands.
|
95
|
22
|
Stop by Old Man Willow to rest (ca. 5:30). Rescued by Tom
Bombadil (ca.
6:00).
|
98
|
25
|
Reach Tom Bombadil’s house. Stars are out (ca. 7 p.m.).
|
Sept. 27 - Day 5 – REST
|
98
|
0
|
Rainy. Spend the day at Tom Bombadil’s house.
|
Sept. 28 - Day 6
|
98
|
0
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Leave Tom’s house and climb zig-zag path to brow of hill on
west side of
Barrow-downs. (ca. 9 a.m.). On ponies go up steep slopes and down long
limbs. No trees or water. Turn more to the east than they intend.
|
112
|
14
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Midday. Stop in a hollow atop a hill. Eat and fall asleep.
Wake in fog, sun
sinking.
|
115
|
17
|
Try to head north, but lose their way and become separated.
Captured by
Wights.
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Sept. 29 - Day 7
|
115
|
0
|
Frodo sings, Tom rescues and recalls ponies. Leave about 10
a.m. Tom leads.
|
118
|
3
|
Ride north through a gap.
|
123
|
8
|
Reach dike and hedge. Former boundary of Arthedain.
|
131
|
16
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Return to Great East Road (ca.5:30). Tom departs. Strider sees
them, but
hides.
|
135
|
20
|
Reach Bree. Stay at the Prancing Pony. Meet Strider. Ponies
stolen during
night.
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Sept. 30 - Day 8 (1st
from Bree)
|
135
|
0
|
Leave Bree on East Road. (ca. 9:30 a.m.)
|
140
|
5
|
Leave road and head north into Chetwood. No living things all
day.
|
147
|
12
|
Camp in Chetwood, east of Archet.
|
Oct. 1 - Day 9 (2nd
from Bree)
|
147
|
0
|
Head east. Ground dropping slowly. Quiet and peaceful.
|
163
|
16
|
Camp in eastern Chetwood.
|
Oct. 2 - Day 10 (3rd
from Bree)
|
165
|
2
|
Come out of the Chetwood.
|
173
|
10
|
Ground becomes damp. Entering western edge of Midgewater
Marshes.
|
179
|
16
|
Camp in western part of the Marshes.
|
Oct. 3 - Day 11 (4th
from Bree)
|
194
|
15
|
Camp in eastern part of the Marshes. See flashes of light in
the east during the
night (Gandalf on Weathertop).
|
Oct. 4 - Day 12 (5th
from Bree)
|
198
|
4
|
Reach eastern edge of the Marshes. Can see Weather Hills
ahead. Land starts
to rise. Land drier and very barren. A few birds.
|
211
|
17
|
Camp by a stream, among stunted alder trees. Moon waxing.
|
Oct. 5 - Day 13 (6th
from Bree)
|
211
|
0
|
Frost. Very clear. Can see crumbled ruins on Hills ahead.
|
229
|
18
|
Reach foot of the Weather Hills. Camp there.
|
Oct. 6 - Day 14 (7th
from Bree)
|
229
|
0
|
Follow path south toward Weathertop. Cunningly hidden. Edged
w. stones
where land is open. Sam recites part of “The Fall of Gil-galad.”
|
239
|
10
|
Midday - Near south end of path. Reach dell at western foot of
hill.
|
240
|
11
|
Climb to top of Weathertop. See Black Riders on road below.
|
241
|
12
|
Return to Dell. Camp there. ATTACK of Nazgul at night.
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Oct. 7 - Day 15 (1st
from Weathertop)
|
241
|
0
|
Frodo on pony. Head south from Dell.
|
251
|
10
|
Cross Great East Road and enter thickets on south side. Land
slopes south.
|
260
|
19
|
Camp in thickets.
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Oct. 8 - Day 16 (2nd
from Weathertop)
|
279
|
19
|
Camp.
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Oct. 9 - Day 17 (3rd
from Weathertop)
|
298
|
19
|
Camp - Follow a wide shallow curving valley.
|
Oct. 10 - Day 18 (4th
from Weathertop)
|
317
|
19
|
Camp - Continue in valley.
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Oct. 11 - Day 19 (5th
from Weathertop)
|
336
|
19
|
Continue in valley. Land starts to rise. Can see ‘huddle of
hills’ ahead.
|
Oct. 12 - Day 20 (6th
from Weathertop)
|
355
|
19
|
Camp not far SW of bridge. Camp is high enough for Merry to
see the
Loudwater far in the distance!
|
Oct. 13 - Day 21 (7th
from Weathertop)
|
356
|
19
|
Return to The Great East Road.
|
358
|
3
|
Cross ‘The Last Bridge’
|
359
|
4
|
Turn north from the road. Steep lands. Can see ruined walls
and towers.
|
362
|
7
|
Hills quickly shut them in. Difficult going. Camp.
|
Oct. 14 - Day 21 (8th
from Weathertop)
|
368
|
6
|
More climbing.
|
Oct. 15 - Day 22 (9th
from Weathertop)
|
374
|
6
|
Weather turns wet during the day.
|
Oct. 16 - Day 23 (10th
from Weathertop)
|
380
|
6
|
Hills higher and steeper. They are forced north out of their
way. Still raining.
Camp on a stony shelf by a shallow cave.
|
Oct. 17 - Day 24 (11th
from Weathertop)
|
386
|
6
|
Rain stopped. Strider scouts. Start late. Turn SE, scrambling
over rocky
ground. Find a valley, but it ends in a high ridge. Climb ridge and
camp in a
saddle at top. COLD. Build a fire under a gnarled pine.
|
Oct. 18 - Day 25 (12th
from Weathertop)
|
387
|
1
|
Slope beyond ridge is much easier. Bright, fair day. Can see
river in distance.
|
389
|
3
|
Reach a trail.
|
392
|
6
|
Find Troll-hole. Continue on level path through woods.
|
393
|
7
|
Stone Trolls. Rest. Sam recites “Old Troll”. Continue in
afternoon.Woods.
|
400
|
14
|
Return to the Road.
|
405
|
19
|
While looking for a place to camp, hear a horse: Glorfindel.
|
420
|
34
|
March all night. Frodo is on Glorfindel’s horse. Camp next to
the road at
dawn.
|
Oct. 19 - Day 26 (13th
from Weathertop)
|
420
|
0
|
Camp less than 5 hours. Take road with 2 brief rests.
|
427
|
7
|
Rest stop.
|
432
|
12
|
Rest stop.
|
440
|
20
|
Camp where road bends right to run down slope toward the River
Bruinen.
|
Oct. 20 - Day 27 (14th
from Weathertop)
|
440
|
0
|
Leave early morning, hobbling along. Road running downhill.
Much grass on
sides.
|
449
|
9
|
Road plunges through a cutting of red stone with tall pines.
Glorfindel says
“Run”.
|
449.5
|
9.5
|
Hobbits halfway across grassy flat when Nazgul burst through
behind them.
|
450
|
10
|
Glorfindel’s horse carries Frodo across Ford. Nazgul drowned.
Frodo falls.
|
458
|
18
|
Frodo reaches Rivendell that night, carried by the Elves.
Others follow.
|