The Passionate Hiker: Middle-earth

Wed. 27 July: Middle-earth

Lothlorien: one of the most beautiful places in Middle-earth

Note: click on pictures for full size view.

In Middle-earth is a little-known kingdom called Lothlorien. Today three adventurous colleagues and I mounted an expedition into the area.

Maps are a little hard to come by, and are quite old, so we were uncertain of their accuracy. By good fortune we had arranged to meet a long-time resident of the area, John, who was also keen to explore his land.

As the reader will know, Lothlorien is considered one of the most beautiful and "elvish" places in Middle-earth. It stands between the southeastern end of the Misty Mountains and the river Anduin. The river Celebrant runs through the wood from its source in the mountains to the west through to the Anduin to the east. The woods of Lothlórien extend south into Fangorn Forest. There is no true border between the two territories, but the inhabitants of either land can walk freely at their leisure across whatever borders there may be.

It was with a slight hesitation that we plunged into the dark woods, with no discernible paths to follow. We did have one advantage over Bilbo Baggins, having our GPS device with us. As a result, we were able to check our progress through the rugged wilderness, and to make critical adjustments to our direction. We created a circular walk of just over five kilometres across the ridges and through the woodlands. Being Lothlorien, there seemed to be a different measure of time and distance here, and so it might have been much further.

Few people have had the good fortune to explore this part of Middle-earth. Even John, who has lived here for many decades, was enjoying the adventure of carving out a new route. We crossed a slippery log over a swampy river, and I found to my surprise, as I stepped off the log, that the ground was not firm under my right foot. I rescued the situation with just one muddy leg.

We passed several ancient tall trees; one maple, we felt, might have been over two hundred years old. Dropping down a steep, forested ridge, we came to a tiny stream that over centuries had carved a gash in the rocks. Being an engineer, I imagined a graceful bridge spanning the creek. A short way upstream we were able simply to step across the rocks.

Further along on our journey we came out of the dark forest into sunny fields. How long ago, we wondered, did some person (or elf?) live here? We found piles of stones where industrious farmers had cleared the fields, but no sign of a house foundation. There seemed to be no access into this lonely area, and soon the trees will once more swallow up the open fields.

Taking a bold turn to the left, up the steep slopes of the ridge, through a cedar forest, we came out onto high, open ground. Two gigantic powerlines strode across the landscape – providing electricity to far-off cities which lay well beyond the borders of our maps. We could see across the grand, rolling lonely hills to a distant lake. This would be a separate adventure.

Returning safely to John’s hillside community, we strolled through his own private system of woodland trails, leading to an idyllic lake, and then up through meadows filled with colorful purple and yellow wildflowers.

It was clear to us why Lothlorien is known as one of the most beautiful places in Middle-earth. We felt very privileged to have been given access to this world. It was with reluctance that we returned to the Shire through the quaint villages of Ompah, Snow Road, and Elphin (honestly!), on the lesser-used byways of this enchanted land.