Ered Lithui

The long mountain range that ran straight from west to east for four hundred miles to form the northern border of Mordor. These mountains were ash grey in colour, hence their name of Ered Lithui, or the 'Ashen Mountains'.¹ At their western end, the mountains formed from two arms that ringed the eastern side of the valley of Udûn before running off eastward. As they extended eastward, they threw out two long spurs on their southern side, on one of which the Dark Tower of Barad-dûr was raised. Eastward of Barad-dûr, the mountains were fringed to the south by Lithlad, the plain of ash.

The mountains themselves are described as having broken peaks and lifeless grey ridges, perhaps due to the influence of the Fire-mountain of Orodruin nearby. The Morannon, the Black Gate of Mordor, stood at their extreme western end, and from that gate a road ran along the northern flanks of Ered Lithui leading off towards the East. Northward of the mountains, beyond the road, a wide green plain ran for many miles toward the trees of Mirkwood beyond.

Looking eastward from the Morannon, Ered Lithui curved southward somewhat, so that a watcher at the Black Gate could not see far along the eastward road before it curved behind the outthrust feet of the mountains. At least twice in history, this fact was used by the enemies of Gondor to mask their approach out of the East. In the wars against the Wainriders, King Ondoher and his army awaited the foe at the western end of Ered Lithui, only to be surprised and defeated by an army far larger than they had expected. During the War of the Ring, a force of Easterlings used a similar, if limited, version of the same tactic. Concealed in the foothills beyond the Towers of the Teeth, they emerged suddenly to attack the Captains of the West, though on that occasion the destruction of the One Ring brought the Easterling assault to a sudden end.