Front Porch

Travellers crossing the High Pass over the Misty Mountains were in constant danger from the Goblins that dwelt beneath those mountains. For many years they maintained a trap on one of the paths through the heights, but in the years before the Quest of Erebor travellers had begun to avoid that dangerous way. The Goblins therefore moved the entrance to their passageways, establishing a new opening that they dubbed their 'Front Porch'.

The Front Porch could easily be mistaken for an ideal resting-place amid the peaks, a cave mouth protected by a boulder that lay on a high path above a deep valley. Behind the low arch of its narrow entrance, the cave was large enough to be comfortable, but not so large that it might conceal some danger in its dark recesses. It was, however, a trap: a hidden doorway in the rear wall allowed the Goblins to emerge and ambush any who might seek shelter in their cave.

When Thorin and Company attempted to cross the Misty Mountains on their way to the Lonely Mountain, they found themselves caught in a thunderstorm, and unwittingly ventured into the Goblins' 'Front Porch'. The Goblins waited until the Dwarves had fallen asleep, and then stealthily emerged to capture them. Fortunately their companion Gandalf was warned by the cries of the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, and was able to effect a rescue. After the escape, Gandalf planned to find a Giant to seal the entrance to the Front Porch, though later events might have rendered this unnecessary. Following the defeat of the Northern Orcs in the Battle of Five Armies, few Goblins remained to trouble travellers passing through the Misty Mountains.