Greatest Accomplishments Thread...

[Dúnedain]

Ok, last night I read a passage in Unfinished Tales that made me think of what a great accomplishment this one act was. So with that I thought that a thread by a character in any Tolkien work or what have you would be a neat thread to have

Post your favorites or even those that you simply find amazing.


Here is the one I read last night:

From Unfinished Tales; IV The Hunt for the Ring: (ii) Other Versions from the Story:

But when Sauron learned of Gollum's capture by his enemies the situation was drastically changed. When and how this happened cannot of course be known for certain. Probably long after the event. According to Aragorn Gollum was taken at nightfall on February 1st. Hoping to escape detection by any of Sauron's spies he drove Gollum through the north end of the Emyn Muil, and crossed Anduin just above Sarn Gebir. Driftwood was often cast up there on the shoals by the east shore, and binding Gollum to a log he swam across with him, and continued his journey noth by tracks as westerly as he could find, through the skirts of Fangorn, and so over Limlight, then over Nimrodel and Silverlode through the eaves of Lórien, and then on, avoiding Moria and Dimrill Dale, over Gladden until he came near the Carrock. There he crossed Anduin again with the help of the Beornings, and passed into the Forest. The whole journey, on foot, was not much short of nine hundred miles, and this Aragorn accomplished with weariness in fifty days, reaching Thranduil on the twenty-first of March.

First of all it's one thing to go 900 hundred miles on foot, but to do it in 50 days is unbelievable! That is an average of 18 miles per day for 50 straight days! Of course that doesn't account for any obstacles he faced and don't forget he had Gollum with him the whole time!

[Artanis]

Originally posted by Dúnedain
First of all it's one thing to go 900 hundred miles on foot, but to do it in 50 days is unbelievable! That is an average of 18 miles per day for 50 straight days!

Methinks he wasn't called Strider for nothing

[Valandil]

Yeah - I once did a 20 mile (~32 km) hike in Boy Scouts. Did OK - but was certainly footsore... and can't imagine getting back up to do it 49 more times! And to have to drag Gollum along...

And I was like 15, 16 then... and skinny! (MUCH less weight on the feet!)

Actually - a true-to-life one: Daniel Boone once made an escape from Indians and traveled 160 miles in 4 days, to warn the other settlers. Uh... that gets OT though, right? And HE didn't have to drag Gollum either!

[Tuor of Gondolin]

From The Silmarillion

Then Turgon took the counsel of Hurin and Huor, and summoning all that remained of the host of Gondolin and such of Fingon's people as could be gathered he retreated towards the Pass of Sirion...But the Men of Dor-lomin held the rearguard, as Hurin and Huor desired; for they did not wish in their hearts to leave the Northlands, and if they could not win back to their homes, there they would stand to the end. Thus was the treachery of Uldor redressed; and OF ALL THE DEEDS OF WAR THAT THE FATHERS OF MEN WROUGHT IN BEHALF OF THE ELDER, THE LAST STAND OF THE MEN OF DOR-LOMIN IS MOST RENOWNED.
So it was that Turgon fought his way southward, until coming behind the guard of Hurin and Huor he passed down Sirion and escaped; and he vanished into the mountains and was hidden from the eyes of Morgoth. But the brothers drew the remnant of the Men of the house of Hador about them, and foot by foot they withdrew, until they came behind the Fen of Serech, and had the stream of Rivil before them. There they stood and gave way no more.
Then all the hosts of Angband swarmed against them, and they bridged the stream with their dead, and encircled the remnant of Hithlum as a gathering tide about a rock. There as the sun westered on the sixth day, and the shadow of Ered Wethrin grew dark, Huor fell pierced with a venomed arrow in his eye, and all the valiant Men of Hador were slain about him in a heap; and the Orcs hewed their heads and piled them as a mound of gold in the sunset.
Last of all Hurin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed, and it is sung that the axe smoked in the black blood of the troll-guard of Gothmog until it withered, and each time that he slew Hurin cried: "Aure entuluva! Day shall come again!" Seventy times he uttered that cry"

Imagine the orc arguments.
"Okay, you go first, I'll cover you."
"No, you go first!"
"No. no. You get the honor."

"All right people, we need seventy volunteers. Come on, it's only one guy. Don't make me tell Gothmog!"

[Attalus]

Well, the Crossing of the Helcaraxë by the host of the Noldor, led by Fingolfin, Galadriel and Finrod was pretty amazing, as was Maedhros' feat of hnging by his hand for years and years.

[Valandil]

Hurin's must have been pretty demoralizing. I picture the orcs doing the piling while the fighting is going on. Can you imagine... each time one of your mates is taken down, his head is knocked off and thrown onto a pile right at hand.

Uh... I guess I'm just here to provide commentary!

[Keith K]

I think that the greatest accomplishment and most marvelous feat was that which was achieved by two ordinary hobbits. From the time they crossed Anduin to very Door of Doom, Frodo and Sam faced perils that they were not trained for. They did not have a martial background or any battle skills. They did not have Elf Lords or powerful kings of Men to back them up - even in defeat. They were alone and they almost single handedly reduced the entire military structure of the most powerful military force in Middle Earth - into a pile of rubble! As an aside to this I would like to volunteer Gollum for consideration here too. He achieved amazing things all on his own as well.

[Beor]

On that same note, I think that Sam putting up with frodo's whining all the time was a pretty good feat in itself

[Keith K]

Originally posted by Beor
On that same note, I think that Sam putting up with frodo's whining all the time was a pretty good feat in itself

Sounds like you are thinking of Peter Jackson's Frodo, not Tolkien's.

[Beor]

Actually, I thought that they were both kinda whiny, though J does overdo it.

[Earniel]

Originally posted by Attalus
Well, the Crossing of the Helcaraxë by the host of the Noldor, led by Fingolfin, Galadriel and Finrod was pretty amazing, as was Maedhros' feat of hnging by his hand for years and years.

In the case of Maedhros, I suppose he didn't have much of a choice. Though I suppose it's quite amazing that he managed to stay sane hanging there year in, year out.