Questions

[Elendur]

Why, when the Fellowship set out from Rivendell, did they never consider the High Pass to get past the Misty Mountains. If you think about it, I think it would be the safest way to go. You cant go through the Gap of Rohan because of Saruman. You cant go into Moria for obvious reasons. The Redhorn Gate obviously would be known as an evil place because of Caradhras. I know they never expected snow on the Caradhras, but they had to have known that it would be able to stop them, right?

So why not take the road that is farthest away from Saruman and has the Beornings on the other side to help you? They might have encountered goblins, but I doubt because they would likely be inside their caves because of the bad weather. They could have just passed the High Pass and then traveled south to Lorien over the Gladden River and through the Gladden Feilds (even though I think it would be a little marshy). Or they could have risked a speedier crossing by hugging the Anduin on the east side and heading South towards Lorien.

My point is the High Pass, even though more costly in time, would have been a much safer choice. So why not take it.

P.S. You may be thinking the weather would be very bad in the High Pass, but wasn't it also very bad in The Hobbit? The company seemed to do fine then. Atleast the weather wouldn't be aimed at them like at Caradhras.

P.P.S. What exactly is Caradhras? Is it ever explained as more than a living mountain that seems to be evil?