Battle of The Peak Printable version

Gandalf and Balrog fought at the Bridge of Khazad-Dum, and they both fell into a deep gorge. During the fall, Gandalf got burnt by Balrog’s fire on the path and then got frozen when he fell into the water down at the base. He then fought the enemy through dark tunnels under Moria and then up to the Endless Stair that led to the top of Durin’s Tower in the rock named Zirakzigil. Emerging out from the peak, Balrog took its fiery form and then started a battle of climax between the two. [1] This battle continued for two days and nights in the Third Age 3019. The two Maiar fought this fierce battle at the top of the Silvertine. They fought in a small space upon Celebdil, and the sun was shining brightly, and everything below was covered with clouds.

Anybody watching them from below would see flashes of lightning and hear thunder. Steam and vapor rose, and ice fell down like rain. The two fought until Gandalf threw his foe down at last. Balrog was thrown down from the peak, and the mountainside ruined as he fell upon it. Gandalf was also badly hurt in the battle, and he collapsed into darkness after the fall of Balrog. He died, and the body lay on the mountain for nineteen days. His spirit fled to Middle Earth to fulfill his mission. Gwaihir the Eagle carried him to Lothlorien where he was dressed in white and returned as Gandalf The White who was more powerful than before. The Battle of the Peak had ruined Durin’s Tower and also resulted in the destruction of the Endless Stair. The whole battle, right from the beginning at the Bridge to the demise of Gandalf and Balrog lasted for ten days.​

In Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’, the description of the battle is not that specific in regards to what had happened to Gandalf after his fall. Gandalf says, ‘The darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time, and I wandered far on roads that I will not tell’. There can be multiple interpretations of this narration. Gandalf tells Saruman, ‘I am Gandalf the White who has returned from death’. Tolkien has clarified in his writings that Gandalf was killed in the battle and had eventually come alive. [2] There have been numerous speculations and fan theories over the years, some of which are still actively debated in various online forums & discussion sites, but without relevant inputs from Tolkien, it’s tough to arrive at any conclusion.​