how do they do it? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

01-25-2003, 09:21 AM

throught the whole of LOTR the fellowship
travel through thousands upon thousands of miles! how can their feet last?

do you think it is because in those times people were used to it or because of Lembas? [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

Rimbaud · 01-25-2003, 10:04 AM

Hundreds, stretched over months.

And, boots.

These are what the Fellowship wore, to a man. Elf. Hobbit. Maia. Dwarf.

Jesse · 01-25-2003, 10:07 AM

I have to agree with Rim here. The boots helped out alot. Their journey probably took lots of years.

red · 01-25-2003, 10:18 AM

Rim rox.

From the time that Frodo set out from Hobbiton to the downfall of Barad-dûr was only six months. Not years and years.

littlemanpoet · 01-25-2003, 11:32 AM

Hundreds of hikers travel the length of the Appalachian Trail each year, from Maine to Mississippi. And that's mostly mountains. Thousands of miles. It's a matter of getting in shape - which Tolkien did write into the story.

Gorwingel · 01-25-2003, 02:04 PM

I know it is a fantasy book, but I wonder if anyone really had to go on a journey like Sam and Frodo, would they survive? Because by the end they did not have any water they could drink, they were starved, if they had to go on any longer, they would not have made it. I think also it maybe was a shorter distance than you would think, the entire Middle Earth area was (I think) about the size of Western Europe, so it was not as large as you would think.

eleanor_niphredil · 01-25-2003, 03:56 PM

not as large as you would think? I think that the walk home from school is a long walk (about half a mile). I'm not unfit or anything, but honestly, a walk across western Europe, with little food, water, no tent and no portable loo would kill me! way to go fellowship!

Plus, all these guys would have been brought up in a world without cars, trains, or Macdonalds. It is not as hard for them as it would be for us. Anyway, they did have a purpose to do it for.

lord of dor-lomin · 01-26-2003, 11:47 PM

I used to run cross country, and it's really amazing how quickly your body can adjust to your habits.

eg: I stopped running after high school for a couple years and then decided I'd start again. I timed myself in the mile after two years of not running and my time was 7:45. I timed myself again after less than two months of running three or four times a week, and my time was down to 4:30. That's more than three minutes difference, and I wasn't even training my hardest.

Our bodies are very good at adjusting to whatever lifestyle we live.

Gorwingel · 01-27-2003, 12:24 AM

Western Europe seemed a shorter distance to walk across then to walk across the U.S. It would be a long way, and yes it would be a very hard journey. And if you look at the map in the book, it just seemed shorter to me (but I have never had to walk that great of a distance) so maybe I am just not educated about it. [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

Bruce MacCulloch · 01-27-2003, 12:28 AM

As a former infantryman, I can attest to how your body can get used to walking. After doing it for a while, walking twenty-five miles in a few hours with fifty to seventy pounds on your back is not that huge a deal.

I used to go ten or twelve miles at least once a week with that much on my back and be done in two hours, so the amount of walking in the book doesn't seem preposterous at all. Rather, it seems to be only a little bit of a fast pace to keep. Not easy, but definitely do-able.

Also, keep in mind that the technology level in Professor Tolkien's writing is at a level on a par with the Middle Ages. People walked everywhere - very few rode horses (despite what Hollywood would have you believe).

01-25-2003, 09:21 AM	#1
zak Guest Posts: n/a	how do they do it? throught the whole of LOTR the fellowship travel through thousands upon thousands of miles! how can their feet last? do you think it is because in those times people were used to it or because of Lembas? [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

01-25-2003, 10:04 AM	#2
Rimbaud The Perilous Poet Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Heart of the matter Posts: 1,062	Hundreds, stretched over months. And, boots. These are what the Fellowship wore, to a man. Elf. Hobbit. Maia. Dwarf. __________________ And all the rest is literature

01-25-2003, 10:07 AM	#3
Jesse Animated Skeleton Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: My home is in the Twin Cities, but my soul is at Loch Ness in Scotland Posts: 42	I have to agree with Rim here. The boots helped out alot. Their journey probably took lots of years. __________________ --This post was made by Jesse

01-25-2003, 10:18 AM	#4
red Spirit of Mischief Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Land of the free and home of the brave Posts: 366	Rim rox. From the time that Frodo set out from Hobbiton to the downfall of Barad-dûr was only six months. Not years and years. __________________ "Cats are like greatness: Some people are born into cat-loving families, some achieve cats, and some have cats thrust upon them." -William H. A. Carr

01-25-2003, 02:04 PM	#6
Gorwingel Beholder of the Mists Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Somewhere in the Northwest... for now Posts: 1,419	I know it is a fantasy book, but I wonder if anyone really had to go on a journey like Sam and Frodo, would they survive? Because by the end they did not have any water they could drink, they were starved, if they had to go on any longer, they would not have made it. I think also it maybe was a shorter distance than you would think, the entire Middle Earth area was (I think) about the size of Western Europe, so it was not as large as you would think. __________________ Wanted - Wonderfully witty quote that consists of pure brilliance

01-25-2003, 11:32 AM	#5
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Hundreds of hikers travel the length of the Appalachian Trail each year, from Maine to Mississippi. And that's mostly mountains. Thousands of miles. It's a matter of getting in shape - which Tolkien did write into the story.

01-25-2003, 03:56 PM	#7
eleanor_niphredil Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: england Posts: 805	not as large as you would think? I think that the walk home from school is a long walk (about half a mile). I'm not unfit or anything, but honestly, a walk across western Europe, with little food, water, no tent and no portable loo would kill me! way to go fellowship! Plus, all these guys would have been brought up in a world without cars, trains, or Macdonalds. It is not as hard for them as it would be for us. Anyway, they did have a purpose to do it for. __________________ Here I am, brain the size of a planet, and they ask me to spend my time on this forum. And by the way, for any of you turning into a penguin, stop it. ~* I am Pippin took in the Female Fellowship*~

01-26-2003, 11:47 PM	#8
lord of dor-lomin Wight Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: dor-lomin, of course Posts: 167	I used to run cross country, and it's really amazing how quickly your body can adjust to your habits. eg: I stopped running after high school for a couple years and then decided I'd start again. I timed myself in the mile after two years of not running and my time was 7:45. I timed myself again after less than two months of running three or four times a week, and my time was down to 4:30. That's more than three minutes difference, and I wasn't even training my hardest. Our bodies are very good at adjusting to whatever lifestyle we live. __________________ I used to be indecisive. Now, I'm not so sure.

01-27-2003, 12:24 AM	#9
Gorwingel Beholder of the Mists Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Somewhere in the Northwest... for now Posts: 1,419	Western Europe seemed a shorter distance to walk across then to walk across the U.S. It would be a long way, and yes it would be a very hard journey. And if you look at the map in the book, it just seemed shorter to me (but I have never had to walk that great of a distance) so maybe I am just not educated about it. [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img] __________________ Wanted - Wonderfully witty quote that consists of pure brilliance

01-27-2003, 12:28 AM	#10
Bruce MacCulloch Dead Man of Dunharrow Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 651	As a former infantryman, I can attest to how your body can get used to walking. After doing it for a while, walking twenty-five miles in a few hours with fifty to seventy pounds on your back is not that huge a deal. I used to go ten or twelve miles at least once a week with that much on my back and be done in two hours, so the amount of walking in the book doesn't seem preposterous at all. Rather, it seems to be only a little bit of a fast pace to keep. Not easy, but definitely do-able. Also, keep in mind that the technology level in Professor Tolkien's writing is at a level on a par with the Middle Ages. People walked everywhere - very few rode horses (despite what Hollywood would have you believe). __________________ `A blunderbuss, was it?' said he, scratching his head. `I thought it was horseflies!'