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Éowyn Challenge Pathway Mileage and
Descriptions
BAG END TO RIVENDELL (458 miles)
by
Karen Wynn Fonstad
Author of The Atlas of
Middle-earth
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Cumulative
Miles
for
Walk
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Miles
from
last
Mile-
Post
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Location/description
at the
Milepost.
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Sept. 23 – Day 1: 18 miles -
Frodo and Company leave for Rivendell
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0
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0
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Leave Bag End at
full dark (ca. 7 p.m.). Go around (W) end, jump hedge.
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1
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1
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Go through gate into a lane. Head west.
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2
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1
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Leave lane, follow hedgerows south.
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3
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1
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Cross The Water on a plank bridge
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5
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2
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Cross The Great Road from the Brandywine Bridge. Enter
Tookland.
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7.5
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2.5
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Look back at lights of Hobbiton from first slopes of the Green
Hill Country.
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9
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1.5
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Hobbiton hidden as slopes rise and fall.
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11
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2
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Stop in a birch grove. Eat a frugal supper (ca. 10 p.m.).
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14.5
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3.5
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Reach Stock Road
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15.5
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1
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Begin to sing. Walk through a deeply cloven track between tall
trees.
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17.5
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2
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Climb a steep slope. Pippins yawns (“Nearly midnight”).
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18
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0.5
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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: 28 miles
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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.
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20-28
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2-10
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Road rolls up and down.
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29
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1
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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! (ca. 1:30-4:30 p.m.) Sun was ‘beginning to get low’ as they went
down the hill.
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32
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3
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Road ahead runs fairly straight and level. Behind them it
curves slightly. BLACK RIDER.
Sam and
Pippin hide in a hollow. Frodo behind tree by
road (ca.5 p.m.).
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35
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3
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Keep a stone’s throw left of the road...slower going.
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37
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2
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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.). Quite close to
the
road-meeting they creep inside a huge tree. Eat and rest.
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38
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1
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Go on in twilight. Begin to sing. (ca. 7:00 p.m.)
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41
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3
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“And NOW to bed!” Pippin says, when BLACK RIDER is heard again
(ca. 9
p.m.). ELVES arrive, RIDER leaves, and Frodo & Co. continue with
Elves.
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42-44
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1-3
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Wood more dense, and lane went lower, running in a fold of
hills, with hazel
on the slopes alongside. Pippin quickly becomes sleepy.
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45
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1
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Turn right off the path on ‘a green ride’ through thickets.
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46
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1
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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 seen below (ca. 11 p.m.).
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Sept. 25 – Day 3: 27 miles
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46
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0
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Sleep late
(leaving time ca. 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. |
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47
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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.
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48
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1
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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.
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50
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2
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They reach a belt of trees, mostly oaks with a few elms and
ash. Drops of
rain fall.
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52
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2
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Pippin realizes they’ve turned too far south as they are still
in the trees.
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54
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2
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Still in the trees, they stop for lunch (ca. 2:00 p.m.). Their
singing is cut by
the cry of a Black Rider, and they leave (ca. 3:00 p.m.).
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55
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1
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Wood ends. The land steadily becomes more tame. Sun is shining
brightly.
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56
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1
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Reach area of the Marish with fields, meadows, hedges, gates,
and drainage
dikes.
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61
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5
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Edges of fields worked by Farmer Maggot.
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62
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1
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After a turnip
field there is a stout gate to a rutted lane, edged by hedges.
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63
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1
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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 p.m.: full dark when
they leave).
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65
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2
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Farmer Maggot’s lane meets the Causeway to Buckleberry Ferry.
Ride in
wagon.
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70
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5
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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
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0.5
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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.
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73
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2.5
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Crickhollow - spend
the night. “A Conspiracy Unmasked”.
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Sept. 26 – Day 4: 25 miles
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73
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0
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Leave Crickhollow soon after 6:00 a.m. Foggy. Ride ponies
slowly.
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75
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3
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Enter tunnel under Hedge to reach The Old Forest. Path
disappears (ca. 7:15
a.m.).
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78
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2
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The Bonfire Glade - clear path beyond. Sunny, but not yet in
clearing (ca. 8
a.m.).
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78-86
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0-8
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On path in the Forest. Path climbs gently.
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87
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1
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Top of knoll in Forest. Hazy. Surrounded by Trees. Eat, rest
(11 a.m.-ca.1
p.m.)
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88
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1
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Path veers SE. Company leaves path and tries to turn north.
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89-90
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1-2
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Cross series of deep folds running SE. Keep turning east. Lose
direction.
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91
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1
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Enter fold too deep to leave. Follow it SE to Withywindle (ca.
4 p.m.).
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93
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2
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Merry finds path along bank of the River. Follow it east
through wetlands.
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95
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2
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Stop by Old Man Willow to rest. (ca. 5:30) Rescued by Tom
Bombadil
(ca.6:00 p.m.).
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98
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3
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Reach Tom Bombadil’s house. Stars are out (ca. 7 p.m.).
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Sept. 27 - Day 5 – REST: 0 miles
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98
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0
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Rainy. Spend the day at Tom Bombadil’s house.
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Sept. 28 - Day 6: 17 miles
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98
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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 east than they intend and enter the
Barrow-downs, a place of great dread: inhabited by evil Barrow-wights
from
Angmar (R. Foster).
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112
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14
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Midday. Stop in a hollow atop a hill. Eat and fall asleep.
Wake in fog, sun
sinking.
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115
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3
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Try to head north, but lose their way and become separated.
Captured by
Wights.
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Sept. 29 - Day 7: 20 miles
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115
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0
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Frodo sings, Tom rescues and recalls ponies. Leave about 10
a.m. Tom
leads.
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118
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3
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Ride north through a gap.
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123
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5
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Reach dike and hedge. Former boundary of Cardolan, part of the
North
Kingdom of Arnor.
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131
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8
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Return to Great East Road (ca.5:30). Tom departs. Strider sees
them, but
hides.
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135
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4
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Reach Bree. Stay at The
Prancing Pony. Meet Strider. Ponies stolen during
night.
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Sept. 30 - Day 8 (1st
from Bree): 12 miles
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135
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0
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Leave Bree on East Road (ca. 9:30 a.m.).
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140
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5
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Leave road and head north into Chetwood. No living things all
day.
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147
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7
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Camp in Chetwood, east of Archet.
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Oct. 1 - Day 9 (2nd
from Bree): 16 miles
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147
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0
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Head east. Ground dropping slowly. Quiet and peaceful.
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163
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16
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Camp in eastern Chetwood.
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Oct. 2 - Day 10 (3rd
from Bree): 16 miles
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165
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2
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Come out of the Chetwood.
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173
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8
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Ground becomes damp. Entering western edge of Midgewater Marshes.
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179
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6
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Camp in western part of the Marshes.
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Oct. 3 - Day 11 (4th
from Bree): 15 miles
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194
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15
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Camp in eastern part of the Marshes. See flashes of light in
the east during
the night (Gandalf on Weathertop).
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Oct. 4 - Day 12 (5th
from Bree): 17 miles
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198
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4
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Reach eastern edge of the Marshes. Can see Weather Hills
ahead. Land starts
to rise. Land drier and very barren. A few birds.
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211
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13
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Camp by a stream, among stunted alder trees. Moon waxing.
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Oct. 5 - Day 13 (6th
from Bree): 18 miles
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211
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0
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Frost. Very clear. Can see crumbled ruins on Hills ahead.
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229
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18
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Reach foot of the Weather Hills. Camp there.
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Oct. 6 - Day 14 (7th
from Bree): 12 miles
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229
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0
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Follow path south toward Weathertop: path is cunningly hidden
and is edged
with stones where land is open. Sam recites part of “The Fall of
Gil-galad.”
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239
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10
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Midday - Near south end of path. Reach dell at western foot of
hill.
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240
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1
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Climb to top of Weathertop
and enter the ruins of the watch Tower of
Amon Sûl. See Black Riders on road below.
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241
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1
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Return to dell. Camp there. Attack
of Nazgul at night.
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Oct. 7 - Day 15 (1st
from Weathertop): 19 miles
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241
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0
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Injured, Frodo is carried on pony. Head south from dell.
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251
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10
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Cross Great East Road and enter thickets on south side. Land
slopes south.
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260
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9
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Camp in thickets.
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Oct. 8 - Day 16 (2 nd
from Weathertop): 19 miles
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279
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19
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Camp.
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Oct. 9 - Day 17 (3rd
from Weathertop): 19 miles
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298
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19
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Camp - Follow a wide shallow curving valley.
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Oct. 10 - Day 18 (4th
from Weathertop): 19 miles
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317
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19
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Camp - Continue in valley.
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Oct. 11 - Day 19 (5th
from Weathertop): 19 miles
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336
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19
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Continue in valley. Land starts to rise. Can see ‘huddle of
hills’ ahead.
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Oct. 12 - Day 20 (6th
from Weathertop): 19 miles
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355
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19
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Camp not far SW of bridge. Camp is high enough for Merry to
see the
Loudwater far in the distance!
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Oct. 13 - Day 21 (7th
from Weathertop): 7 miles
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356
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1
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Return to The Great East Road
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358
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2
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Strider scouts ahead and finds an elf-stone on The Last Bridge. He believes
it is a token of safety. Company crosses the River Hoarwell/Mitheithel.
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359
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1
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Turn north from the Road. Enter the steep lands of the Trollshaws. They can
see ruined walls and towers frowning down.
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362
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3
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Hills quickly shut them in. Difficult going. Camp.
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Oct. 14 - Day 21 (8th
from Weathertop): 6 miles
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368
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6
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More climbing.
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Oct. 15 - Day 22 (9th
from Weathertop): 6 miles
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374
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6
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Weather turns wet during the day.
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Oct. 16 - Day 23 (10th
from Weathertop): 6 miles
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380
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6
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Hills higher and steeper. They are forced north out of their
way. Still raining.
Camp on a stony shelf by a shallow cave.
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Oct. 17 - Day 24 (11th
from Weathertop): 6 miles
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386
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6
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Rain stops. 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.
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Oct. 18 - Day 25 (12th
from Weathertop): 34 miles
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387
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1
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Slope beyond ridge is much easier. Bright, fair day. Strider
briefly sees the
Loudwater/Bruinen in the distance.
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389
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2
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Reach a trail.
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392
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3
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Find Troll-hole. Continue on level path through woods.
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393
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1
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Stone Trolls. Rest.
Sam recites “Old Troll.” Continue in afternoon. Woods.
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400
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7
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Return to the Road.
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405
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5
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While looking for a place to camp, hear a horse: Glorfindel.
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420
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15
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March all night. Frodo is on Glorfindel’s horse. Camp next to
the road at
dawn.
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Oct. 19 - Day 26 (13sth
from Weathertop): 20 miles
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420
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0
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Camp less than 5 hours. Take road with 2 brief rests.
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429
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9
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Cross a small stream. Rest stop.
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432
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3
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Rest stop.
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440
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8
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Camp where road bends right to run down slope toward the River
Bruinen.
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Oct. 20 - Day 27 (14th
from Weathertop): 18 miles
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440
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0
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Leave early morning, hobbling along (ca. 7 a.m.).
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447
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7
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Road running downhill. Much grass on sides.
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449
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2
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Road plunges through a cutting of red stone with tall pines.
Glorfindel says
“Run!”
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449.5
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0.5
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Hobbits are halfway across grassy flat when Nazgul burst
through behind
them.
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450
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0.5
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Attack at the Ford
(ca. noon). Glorfindel’s horse carries Frodo across Ford.
Nazgul drown. Frodo falls.
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452
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2
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Company meets Elves sent from Rivendell (est. 2 p.m.). They
take Frodo
ahead. Rest of company follows on foot.
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457
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5
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Come to the sudden cliff into the valley of Rivendell.
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458
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1
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Frodo reaches Rivendell
carried by the Elves (est. 4 p.m.). Others
arrive in
evening.
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458 Miles = Cumulative
Journey thus far: Bag End to Rivendell
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