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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. |
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_________ Total Miles for your Personal Journey thus far |
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Cumulative Miles for Walk |
Miles from last Mile- Post |
Location/description at the Milepost. |
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April 25 - Gandalf's Adventure Gandalf comes to Bag End and proposes 'an adventure' to Bilbo. To get rid of him, Bilbo invites him to tea the next day. |
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April 26 - An Unexpected Party Gandalf arrives with Thorin and Company ca. 4:00 p.m. Talk late. Stay all night. |
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April 27 - Day 1: 11 miles 10:30 a.m. Gandalf finds Bilbo having Second Breakfast. Sends him off. |
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0 |
0 |
Bilbo leaves Bag End and runs south down the lane toward Hobbiton. |
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.5 |
.5 |
Crosses bridge across the Water. Turns east on the road to Bywater. |
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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. |
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7 |
2 |
Reach the Great East Road. Turn east. |
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9 |
2 |
Pass Three-Farthing Stone. |
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11 |
2 |
Camp. |
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April 28 - Day 2: 12 miles |
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11 |
0 |
Continue east on the Road at a leisurely pace. |
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23 |
12 |
Frogmorton. Stay at The Floating Log. |
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April 29 - Day 3: 11 miles |
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23 |
0 |
Continue east on the Road at a leisurely pace. |
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34 |
11 |
See the trees of Woody End across the fields to the south. Camp. |
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April 30 - Day 4: 11 miles |
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34 |
0 |
Continue east on the Road at a leisurely pace. |
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45 |
11 |
Reach the Brandywine Bridge. Stay at the Bridge Inn. |
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May 1 - Day 5: 10 miles |
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45 |
0 |
Cross the Bridge. Road to Buckland goes south. Pass the High Hay. |
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55 |
10 |
Stop for the night. |
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May 2 - Day 6: 10 miles |
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55 |
0 |
Continue east on the Road. The Old Forest appears south off the Road. |
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61 |
6 |
The Old Forest is now quite close. |
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65 |
4 |
Camp next to the Road. |
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May 3 - Day 7: 10 miles |
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65 |
0 |
Continue east on the road. Land is sparsely settled. |
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69 |
4 |
To the south the Old Forest ends. |
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75 |
6 |
Camp. |
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May 4 - Day 8: 10 miles |
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75 |
0 |
Continue east at a leisurely pace. The most western slopes of the Barrow-downs appear far to the south. |
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81 |
6 |
Barrow-downs continue. Between the Road and the Downs is a hedge. |
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85 |
4 |
Reach Bree. Stay at The Prancing Pony. Spend a late evening. |
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May 5 - Day 9: 6 miles |
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85 |
0 |
Stay at the inn much of the morning. Then skirt Bree-hill and turn east. |
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86 |
1 |
Reach the South-gate of Bree. Leave village and ride east on the road. |
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91 |
5 |
Camp next to a trail leading north into the Chetwood on Bree-hill. |
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May 6 - Day 10: 10 miles |
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91 |
0 |
Ride east at a leisurely pace. Road runs ESE skirting the Chetwood. |
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96 |
5 |
Continue downhill along road next to the heart of the Chetwood. |
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101 |
5 |
Stay at The Forsaken Inn: the last inn along the Great East Road. |
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May 7 - Day 11: 12 miles |
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101 |
0 |
Leave a bit earlier. Ride southeast along the Road at a comfortable pace. |
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107 |
6 |
Reach the east edge of the Chetwood. Scattered farms to the south. |
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111 |
4 |
Begin to see the Midgewater Marshes off to the northeast. |
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113 |
2 |
Camp. |
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May 8 - Day 12: 12 miles |
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113 |
0 |
Road continues east-southeast. |
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117 |
4 |
Road runs gently downhill. |
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125 |
8 |
Due north lie the western edge of the Midgewater Marshes. |
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May 9 - Day 13: 12 miles |
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125 |
0 |
Road continues east-southeast. |
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133 |
8 |
Meet a traveller who hurries by. |
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137 |
4 |
Camp. Marshes to the north are now closer to the road. |
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May 10 - Day 14: 12 miles |
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137 |
0 |
Continue east-southeast at a comfortable pace. Weather nice. |
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143 |
6 |
Road curves more to the east. Marshes fill all the northern horizon. |
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149 |
6 |
Camp due south of the Midgewater Marshes. |
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May 11 - Day 15: 11 miles |
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149 |
0 |
Continue east at a comfortable pace. |
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155 |
6 |
Road continues east around southern edge of the Marshes. |
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160 |
5 |
Camp south of the road, away from the Marshes. |
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May 12 - Day 16: 10 miles |
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160 |
0 |
Continue east on the Road. |
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165 |
5 |
Road now turns slightly more to the north. |
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170 |
5 |
Reach the southeast tip of the Midgewater Marshes. Camp. |
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May 13 - Day 17: 10 miles |
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170 |
0 |
Road turns more to the northeast. Slowly begins to climb uphill. |
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175 |
5 |
Weathertop is visible ahead, with the Weather Hills to its north. |
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180 |
5 |
Camp. Open, rough lands on both sides of the road. Weather pleasant. |
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May 14 - Day 18: 10 miles |
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180 |
0 |
Continue northeast on the Road at a comfortable pace. |
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185 |
5 |
Land now slopes slowly uphill toward Weathertop. |
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190 |
5 |
Weathertop rises more clearly ahead. Camp. |
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May 15 - Day 19: 10 miles |
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190 |
0 |
Road continues northeast, rising slowly. |
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195 |
5 |
Weathertop looms ahead and fills all the view. |
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200 |
5 |
Weathertop rises immediately north of the Road. Camp at its foot. |
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May 16 - Day 20: 10 miles |
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200 |
0 |
Road continues northeast past Weathertop. |
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205 |
5 |
Road reaches southeastern foot of Weathertop. |
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210 |
5 |
Come to the last foothill below Weathertop. Camp at its foot. |
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May 17 - Day 21: 9 miles |
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210 |
0 |
Continue northeast on road, dropping slowly into the 'Lone-lands'. Road worsens. |
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215 |
5 |
South of the road are more rugged areas, covered with thickets. |
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219 |
4 |
Camp. Weather still is warm and clear. |
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May 18 - Day 22: 9 miles |
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219 |
0 |
Road still runs northeast. Weathertop is still visible straight behind. |
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228 |
9 |
Camp. |
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May 19 - Day 23: 9 miles |
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237 |
9 |
Road deteriorates still more. Weathertop now appears lower. Camp. |
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May 20 - Day 24: 9 miles |
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242 |
5 |
Road turns more east. Weathertop is no longer straight behind. |
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246 |
4 |
Continue east. Camp. Weather Hills still visible on the western horizon. |
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May 21 - Day 25: 9 miles |
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255 |
9 |
Continue east on the Road. Camp. |
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May 22 - Day 26: 9 miles |
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264 |
9 |
Continue east. Far behind, the Weather Hills show less and less. Ahead, company begins to see the tops of the Trollshaws. Camp. |
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May 23 - Day 27: 9 miles |
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273 |
9 |
Continue east. Road is rough. Camp. |
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May 24 - Day 28: 9 miles |
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282 |
9 |
Continue east. Behind, Weather Hills have almost disappeared. Ahead, dark wooded hills appear higher. Camp. |
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May 25 - Day 29: 9 miles |
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291 |
9 |
Open country. No streams. Camp. |
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May 26 - Day 30: 9 miles |
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300 |
9 |
Road curves more to southeast. South of the road are bushes and stunted trees: wild and pathless. Camp north of the road. |
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May 27 - Day 31: 9 miles |
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309 |
9 |
Weather pleasant. Ahead, Trollshaws show clearly. Camp. |
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May 28 - Day 32: 8 miles |
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317 |
8 |
Road swings southeast through open country. Ahead on hills of the Trollshaws, can now see "old castles with an evil look." Camp. |
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May 29 - Day 33: 15 miles |
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317 |
0 |
Continue southeast on road. Weather turns cold and wet. |
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323 |
6 |
Reach northeast end of a valley south of the road. Continue on. Road now is only a muddy track. |
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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. |
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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). |
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May 30 - Day 34: 12 miles |
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332 |
0 |
Gandalf keeps trolls arguing until dawn. Sun turns them to stone. |
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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. |
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339 |
7 |
Continue down path and reach the Road. Bury gold and continue east. |
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340 |
1 |
Road now turns southeast. Skirts hills of the Trollshaws. |
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344 |
4 |
Camp. |
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June 1 - Day 35: 16 miles |
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344 |
0 |
Leave early and make haste. |
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348 |
4 |
Enter woods. Continue east on road through woods. |
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350 |
2 |
Woods run into the valley on north. |
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355 |
5 |
Pass out-thrust 'toe' of a hill. |
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360 |
5 |
Camp near valley from the north. |
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June 2 - Day 36: 13 miles |
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360 |
0 |
Road now runs due east. With few provisions, they hurry along. |
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365 |
5 |
Can see ruins on hilltop to the north. |
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368 |
3 |
South of the Road, ravine of the Bruinen comes close. Road turns NE. |
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370 |
2 |
Pass a valley from the north. |
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373 |
3 |
Camp. |
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June 3 - Day 37: 16 miles |
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373 |
0 |
Continue northeast. Road still hugs feet of the Trollshaws. |
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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. |
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380 |
2 |
Continue east-northeast along road . Ride very quickly. |
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385 |
5 |
Road runs gently downhill. Much grass on sides. Hills still on the north. |
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388 |
3 |
Road drops through a cutting of red stone topped with tall pines, then crosses a long flat mile toward the river. |
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389 |
1 |
Reach the Ford of Bruinen. Can see Misty Mountains clearly. Camp. |
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June 4 - Day 38: 8 miles |
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389 |
0 |
Cross the Ford of Bruinen. |
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390 |
1 |
Gandalf searches out the path. Must go carefully. |
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392 |
2 |
Path runs next to a steep gully on the left. |
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394 |
2 |
On the east, a deep ravine holds a waterfall. |
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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. |
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397 |
1 |
Lead the ponies across the narrow bridge over the upper Bruinen. Reach the 'Last Homely House' in Rivendell. |
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397 Miles : Bag End to Rivendell |
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