# Alternative paths for the Fellowship to take?



## Ithrynluin (Jun 16, 2004)

Had there been no option to go through Moria or over Caradhras, which other path would have been best, keeping in mind the scope and importance of the Quest?

1. Going over the High Pass north of Rivendell and then along the eastern side of the Misty Mountains down to Lórien and further...

2. Going south of Rivendell, through the Gap (not the store  ), Rohan,....(Minas Tirith-Mordor?)

3. Taking a seaward road. Perhaps being aided by Círdan and taking ship from the Grey Havens, south and east along the coast until reaching the Drúwaith Iaur or even Dol Amroth, and going on foot from there...This road would probably be the most secret one, but also very time consuming, so perhaps they could have arranged to have boats waiting for them at Lond Daer to shorten their journey by sea?

So lots of options and possibilites, and many factors to consider! Discuss!


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## Celebthôl (Jun 16, 2004)

Im thinkin traveling by sea would have been the best way, as only the fleets of Umbar would have been able to stop them, and by the time that was all assembled then it would be too late...however, if the ship got blown off course away from ME who knows what would have happened to the ring? I mean, the ring belonged to Middle Earth, Gandalf states that at the CoE, so even if taking it away by accident, it would have found its way back to ME, and who knows who would have found it?!


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## Ithrynluin (Jun 16, 2004)

Thol! Didn't expect _you _to be the first person to reply to my thread. Nice to see you, laddie!  



> Im thinkin traveling by sea would have been the best way, as only the fleets of Umbar would have been able to stop them


Yes, I had the corsairs in mind, which is why I didn't suggest that they go further than Dol Amroth, say Pelargir? Because that part of the Sea/Anduin might have been watched by unfriendly forces and the Fellowship might have been intercepted. I would think the waterways between the Grey Havens and Dol Amroth would have been relatively safe and unwatched. Does anyone disagree?


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## Turin (Jun 16, 2004)

I always wished that they had taken the gap of Rohan, for some reason, though as I read the books I never saw Saruman as much of a threat. Other than that, the pass north of Rivendell would also be good.


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## Ithrynluin (Jun 16, 2004)

Turin said:


> I never saw Saruman as much of a threat.


Considering that he came close to annihilating the people of Rohan, how come you think of Saruman as not much of a threat? Or do you mean that Saruman would not have had an easy time spotting a company of nine going through a gap which, after all, is not all that narrow?


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## Gil-Galad (Jun 17, 2004)

I would say that using Cirdan's ships seems interesting idea to me.Yes,the trip would have been longer,but safer.

The only danger would have been the people of Harad,but I am not sured they travelled so far in the North.


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## Arvedui (Jun 17, 2004)

I have often wondered why they didn't use the High Pass that was used in _The Hobbit,_ and even started a thread around here somewhere because of that.

Concerning the option to journey by ship:
That would have had a lot of nasty consequences. Just think of the action that took from the time they left Rivendell, to when Gandalf came to Gondor.

Rohan would be in serious trouble. No Ents.
Gandalf would remain Gray.
No Lothlórien, meaning no Phial, no cloacks, no earth for Sam, no Elfstone for Aragorn, no bow for Legolas

And a lot more that would have to be worked out in another manner.


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## Gothmog (Jun 17, 2004)

The problem with the path taken in the Hobbit is that it is too far north for the time of year the Fellowship set out. It was expected to be blocked with snow.

As for going by sea, while the sea ways may well have been reasonably safe the trip from Rivendell to the sea was not. As was mentioned in the CoE even the journy from Rivendell to the land of Tom Bombadil was thought to be very perilous. All the ways westward were watched because that was the way Elves had always gone.


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## Arvedui (Jun 17, 2004)

Another thing against the High Pass that came to my mind just now, is Orcs. It wasn't totally safe in _The Hobbit_ and it probably wasn't any safer all these years later.


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## Turin (Jun 17, 2004)

Gorthaur said:


> Considering that he came close to annihilating the people of Rohan, how come you think of Saruman as not much of a threat? Or do you mean that Saruman would not have had an easy time spotting a company of nine going through a gap which, after all, is not all that narrow?



Heh, those were just my thoughts when I first read the books, I realize now that it was a truly dangerous road.


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## Aulë (Jun 17, 2004)

1. The High Pass
_Problems:_ 
-Abundance of Orcs. Although a lot of them would have been wiped out in the Battle of Five Armies, many more would still have infested the caves near the High Pass (especially since there were so many in Moria).
-Close to Dol Guldur and Gladden Fields. No doubt Elrond's scouts would have discovered that Sauron's spies were active in those areas.
-Longer to Lothlorien. Gandalf seemed to be keen to get to Lothlorien from the start. By going this way, it would have taken longer to get there by many weeks.

2. The Gap of Rohan
_Problems:_
-Saruman. If he could find and hunt down the Fellowship all the way over in Sarn Gebir, then I don't see why it couldn't have been many times easier to send some Uruk-hai out on a quick journey into the Gap. He would have been able to send more of them too, and there wouldn't have been the Entish force to worry about to save the captives.
-Merry and Pippin wouldn't have been able to rouse the Ents. Rohan would have been destroyed. No aid for Gondor. Eowyn dead. Witch King lives on.

3. Ships
_Problems:_
-The Ents problem once more.
-Would take time to send a boat to pick them up from Lond Daer.
-Would be risky going back to the Grey Havens, even with the Black Rider problem gone.
-Umbar controlled the southern seas.
-A group of people in very close proximety to the One Ring for a long time = Bad news. Especially if one of those people is Boromir.
-The One Ring would have to pass through Minas Tirith. I doubt Faramir would be the Gondorian to come across the Fellowship to let them pass through.

_Problems for all three:_
-Gandalf remains the Grey.
-No Gollum to cast the One Ring into Mt Doom (He'd remain in Moria).

*Conclusion:*
Although some of those problems could be solved by factors that weren't known (eg, a band of Beornings assiting the Fellowship, Treebeard being roused without M&P), the only thing we know is that the path through Moria was successful- and the best therefore with our current knowledge.


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## Barliman Butterbur (Jun 17, 2004)

Gorthaur said:


> Had there been no option to go through Moria or over Caradhras, which other path would have been best, keeping in mind the scope and importance of the Quest?...



I hardly ever get into this speculatory stuff, but SINCE YOU ASK...! I opt for air travel via eagle! Solves the whole damn problem in one swell foop!

Barley


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## Ithrynluin (Jun 17, 2004)

The Eagles option is about as feasible as the Fellowship boarding a 747 and plunging headfirst into Orodruin!  Why? Becuse the way things work in Middle-Earth is that Eru and the Valar don't do the work for the free peoples, but can only lend a helping hand here and there (like sending the Istari).


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## Arvedui (Jun 17, 2004)

Not really a big surprise that someone brought the eagles along, is it.    


Another option is that they could have flown with Balrog Air. After all, Balrog's had wings, right......


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## Barliman Butterbur (Jun 17, 2004)

Arvedui said:


> Not really a big surprise that someone brought the eagles along, is it.
> 
> 
> Another option is that they could have flown with Balrog Air. After all, Balrog's had wings, right......



Unfortunately Balrog Air went belly up — it seems that Balrog wings are no more useful to their owners than are those of kiwis and ostriches, judging by what happened with Gandalf during the descent into the depths, and up the Endess Stairs to the top of the mountain.

However, Bree's Nazgûl Air Delivery Service is still running, but only for short local stops...the remaining Black Rider (who has now been renamed Sedgewick) must still prove his loyalty.

Barley


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## Gil-Galad (Jun 18, 2004)

Arvedui said:


> I have often wondered why they didn't use the High Pass that was used in _The Hobbit,_ and even started a thread around here somewhere because of that.
> 
> Concerning the option to journey by ship:
> That would have had a lot of nasty consequences. Just think of the action that took from the time they left Rivendell, to when Gandalf came to Gondor.
> ...







heh Arvedui,you are right,Tolkien chose the best way .He prove he chose the best one-The Ring was destroyed


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## Barliman Butterbur (Jun 18, 2004)

It's time for Middle-earth to wake up, smell the coffee, get on the same page, and get with the program! 

I say we need to establish THE MIDDLE-EARTH SUBWAY SYSTEM! Bree to the Shire in 45 minutes, The Shire to Barad-Dur (as a tourist attraction) in an hour and a half, Gondor to the Glittering Caves (another tourist attraction), the Lonely Mountain, Dale! And of course, all tracks would go under the Greenway and come out at the Bree Station right by the Prancing Pony — just think of it! They could run the train right through Khazad-dum just like the Disneyland Haunted House ride!

Barley


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## baragund (Jun 18, 2004)

Barliman pegged it. Using the eagles to fly Frodo to Mt. Doom would have eliminated all the hassles and the Ring would have been destroyed about two hours after the conclusion of the Council of Elrond. But then again there wouldn't be much of a story after Book 1 of FOTR.

I know, I know... JRRT didn't want the eagles to be a "taxi-service" but that's pretty much what they were in both The Hobbit and LOTR.


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