2024 Main Challenge Thread - YLTO Goes Hiking

[Janice, Moderator]

We have gone on a Road Trip, gone Geocaching, Museum hopping, and I think it's time to go on some hikes. Get some saddle soap and treat your brand new hiking boots, or you'll have blisters galore. You'll have them anyway most likely.

Our theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPfGL....

The Challenge will be for 16 books, and we are all going to hike with Frodo and Samwise through Mordor. In order to complete the challenge, you need to complete these 16 books. We'll call this Badge One.

🧩🧩🧩🧩🧩

If you wish to pursue further badges, there will be 4 additional categories: Pilgrimages, Adventure Hikes, City Tours, and Literature Treks. Each Category has 3 sub categories. Three pilgrimages, three adventure hikes, three city tours, and three treks based on literature.

Each subsequent badge will be awarded after 48 books. You may pick and chose 3 sub categories from the 4 categories. In fact, you could chose one entire category if you prefer.

Badge 1 - 16 books
Badge 2 - 48 books
Badge 3 - 48 books
Badge 4 - 48 books
Badge 5 - 48 books
Total Badges - 208 books.

- - - - -

Here comes the twist. There will be 6 identified stops within each hike- Start, 4 checkstops, and the Finish. I have written a task for each of them. In between each stop, you will read two additional books that is connected to my task and each other. - Like a chain link fence.

Start - my task
Your choice - connected to start book.
Your choice - connected to your second book.

(reset)

Checkstop 1 - my task
Your choice - connected to checkstop book.
Your choice - connected to the preceding book.

(reset)

Reset means you may break the linked books if you chose. If you are a gluten for punishment, you may connect them all.

I actually goffered for Badge one to see if it could be done.

https://1drv.ms/x/s!Atsitmoc4R0-got3H...

My first idea was way too complicated and I couldn't gopher for it. So I had to revise it.

Here's another bit of a twist. You must read each book IN ORDER. We're on a hike and you can't jump back and forth. You follow the trail to its conclusion.

[Janice, Moderator]

Frodo & Sam's route through Middle Earth:

https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Quest....

Start - Bag End Hobbiton.

Bag End was a smial (underground dwelling) in Hobbiton. It was the residence of the Baggins family.

Task: Read a book with home, homeward, or homebound in the title.

Checkpoint 1 - Bree

Bree was the first stop that Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin made on their quest, and it will be our first Way Stop on our trip. There, they met Strider for the first time.

Task - Read a book that is the 1st book of a series of 4 (that represents Frodo, Sam, Merry & Pippin).

Checkpoint 2 - Rivendell

Rivendell is a valley in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, representing both a homely place of sanctuary and a magical Elvish otherworld.

Task: Read a book with "Sanctuary" or "Valley" in the title, or subtitle.

Checkpoint 3 - Moria

Khazad-dûm, latterly known as Moria (The Black Chasm, The Black Pit), was the grandest and most famous of the mansions of the Dwarves. There, for many thousands of years, a thriving Dwarvish community created the greatest city ever known.

Task: Read a book with a cover that is 75% black.

Checkpoint 4 - Black Gate

The Black Gate was built by Sauron after he chose Mordor as a land to make into a stronghold. He built it of iron.

Task: Read a book with "Iron" in the title.

Finish - Mount Doom

Mount Doom was obviously a stratovolcano, composited by alternating layers of ash and lava. Towering at only 4500ft, it was relatively short.

Task: Read a book that is between 400 and 450 pages.