Why Moria?

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Rhod the Red

Plus the High Pass route would make them take longer, if you look at the distance. Maybe a few weeks.

Originally Posted by JennyHallu

While the Pass itself might not have been closed, to travel south from there would have required passing dangerously close to Dol Guldur, an obstacle of the caliber of Minas Morgul.

I have seen these arguments presented before and don't really hold with them.

The High Pass was more or less on the same latitude as Rivendell and so would not have involved much of a greater distance than taking the Redhorn Pass (as was originally intended). It would take them slightly further north, but not by much. And the marginally greater distance is balanced by the fact that (as indicated in the quote I gave above), the country was much more barren, and the going therefore much slower, west of the mountains than east.

As for Dol Guldur, the Fellowship could have avoided coming too close by staying west of the Anduin, near to the Misty Mountains. And, in any event, by the time that they came anywhere near Dol Guldur, they would almost be within Lothlorien.

Originally Posted by JennyHallu

So take a pass known to be the haunt of Goblins? Wasn't it somewhere mentioned that the activities of the orcs in the pass had increased since TH?

No more so than elsewhere in the Misty Mountains. It is mentioned somewhere (The Council of Elrond, possibly) that, in the years following the Quest of Erebor, the Beornings took responsibility for guarding the High Pass and also the main crossing point over the Anduin (and that they charged a toll for doing so). The route was quite well-travelled and would probably have provided the safest passage across the mountains.

So the main reason for not taking the High Pass would appear to be that it would take the Fellowship though more densely populated country which, although nominally safer, would give rise to a greater risk of being spotted by Sauron's spies.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

I tend to agree with above arguments for heading East
or West, as opposed to South (although if the
Redhorn gate was open it would also be a good option).
They could have headed east past the Beornings and
then gone down the River Running, getting to the area
of the Sea of Rhun as a jumping off place for a dash to the
south side of the Ered Lithui (hey, beats passing by Shelob
and/or Minas Morgul as an entrance area!

Alternately, despite Gandalf's worries, immediately
after the Council of Rivendell head west to the Grey Havens,
get Cirdan to send a small fleet, 2-3 boats at most, south
of the Angren (any further by sea and there's corsair problems),
and then go by land east to Lebennin and South Ithilien.
Then either see the giant spider or head east around the
mountains and so into south Mordor.
Sea travel by elf sailors (hugging the coast) would be much
quicker, and being near shore they could evade any enemy ships
or stormy weather.

There are problems with any route. Difficulties with the sea
route include evading armies moving north, the length of the
trip around mountains (unless JRRT invents another pass- or
moves Shelob around ) and being stopped by Denethor.

[tom bombariffic]

I'm reading

again

I've heard it's very good.

bombariffic

[Legolas]

Speed was important; safety was an issue whereever they went.

The snow that fell on Caradhras stopped the Fellowship in their tracks; it would've only been worse so far north (where Bilbo's High Pass lies).

When they returned to the Company Gandalf spoke, and then he knew that it had been decided to face the weather and the high pass. He was relieved. He could not guess what was the other dark and secret way, but the very mention of it had seemed to fill Aragorn with dismay, and Frodo was glad that it had been abandoned.
'From signs that we have seen lately,' said Gandalf, 'I fear that the Redhorn Gate may be watched; and also I have doubts of the weather that is coming up behind. Snow may come. We must go with all the speed that we can. Even so it will take us more than two marches before we reach the top of the pass. Dark will come early this evening. We must leave as soon as you can get ready.'

[Rhod the Red]

The snow storm was at Redhorn, not East of Rivendell. No offence, but don't insert stuff into the story. Gandalf was referring to the Redhorn Pass then, as is clear as the colour of the letters.

[Legolas]

No offense, but once again, please read over what I said again. I didn't say he wasn't. Who inserted things into the story? I was saying there was a risk of harsh weather at Redhorn, which was unusual that far south.

Why would they risk harsher weather by going further north where it was more common, and take the longer route in face of impending doom? It is simply irrational to expect that they would've taken the High Pass. Gandalf never even considers that High Pass an option because of these things. I do not think he is an idiot!

You might also note that they point out that it wasn't simply natural weather acting.

'That I feared it too,' Aragorn answered, 'but less than other things. I knew the risk of snow, though it seldom falls heavily so far south, save high up in the mountains. But we are not high yet; we are still far down, where the paths are usually open all the winter.'
'I wonder if this is a contrivance of the Enemy,' said Boromir. 'They say in my land that he can govern the storms in the Mountains of Shadow that stand upon the borders of Mordor. He has strange powers and many allies.'
'His arm has grown long indeed,' said Gimli, 'if he can draw snow down from the North to trouble us here three hundred leagues away.'
'His arm has grown long,' said Gandalf.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

Why would they risk harsher weather by going further north where it was more common, and take the longer route in face of impending doom?

To interject on this point, the northern route (east to River
Running) while longer and perhaps minimally colder (Caradhras
was a tall peak so even its regular winter passages might well
be as difficult as the High Pass). Also, the route east
was generally secured by the Beornings, plus they could approach
Mordor from a presumably unexpected point (The Sea of Rhun)
as opposed to knocking on the front door (rather unwise).

[tom bombariffic]

A good point, Moria was the logical, and safest choice.

However, Tolkien is also careful to emphasize their reluctance right to the end, and they decide to sleep on it, still undecided. In the end, the final decision to go to moria is made of pure necessity, whether they would have chosen to go there or not:

Suddenly Aragorn leapt to his feet. "How the wind howls!" he cried. "It is howling with wolf-voices.The wargs have come west of the mountains!"

"Need we wait until morning then?" said Gandalf. "It is as I said. The hunt is up! Even if we live to see the dawn, who now will wish to journey south by night with the wild wolves on his trail?"

"How far is Moria?" asked Boromir.

This is very clearly a last option, and their delaying of their decision until their hand is forced shows that it was really made out of necessity...whether or not they would have decided to go despite the wolves is another question.

bombariffic