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Fords of Isen to Minas Tirith
This map shows the whole course of the ride of Gandalf and Pippin on Shadowfax from the Fords of Isen to Minas Tirith, passing Helm’s Deep, Edoras, and the seven great beacons, Halifirien, Calenhad, Min-Rimmon, Erelas, Nardol, Eilenach and Amon Din. The overall distance was around 440 miles; some 135 miles from the Fords of Edoras and 306 miles from Edoras to Minas Tirith. (Helm’s Deep; Bk 2; The Muster of Rohan; Bk 3). Gandalf and Pippin covered the whole of this in four days, whereas the Riders of Rohan took four days and a night to cover only 306 miles from Edoras to Minas Tirith. But then Shadowfax was unique.
This map also shows the relationship between the point where the Entwash flows out of Fangorn and the junction of the Limlight and the Anduin, on roughly the same level. (The White Rider; Bk 2).
As they started Gandalf told Pippin that it was 600 miles, as the Nazgul flies, from Barad-dur to Orthanc. (The Palantir; Bk 2). If one adds together all the various distances mentioned between the two points this seems reasonable enough – 30 miles from Isengard to the Fords, 440 miles from the Fords to Minas Tirith (see above), 60 miles from Minas Tirith to the Ephel Duath (Minas Tirith; Bk 3), perhaps 30 miles through the mountains to the Morgai ridge, 40 miles from the Morgai to Orodruin (The Land of Shadow; Bk 3) and some 10 miles from Orodruin to Barad-dur, making a total of some 610 miles. Probably a 100 miles less in a straight line.
