Route Guide Through Moria: Maps!
by jeffm
On Nov 24, Scenario said-
"LOTRO's Moria was designed with a "main road" that players could take to get from one side to the other, and subsequently what lies on the other side, just by heading east. There are some obvious chasms and pitfalls you'll want to avoid but you can pretty much go right through the middle of Moria."
Confused by Moria? Got defeated trying to get through? Read on ...
The following is a general walkthrough description of one somewhat safer way to run through Moria to get to Lothlorien rather than just heading east on the main highway. I'm not saying this is the only way or the best way. Iâm sure there are other ways.
There are a lot of smaller details and twists and turns that the maps don't show. These are too hard to describe and wonât be described in this general overall description. Explore when you run into these twisty places. You can discover the way forward and have fun exploring a bit.
This slightly edited walkthrough is courtesy of Gaylen, Co-Leader of Aphadrim uin Calad.
You'll notice there is a very obvious road from west to east to mostly avoid. That's because it's dotted with mobs for the majority of it, whereas the early detour north gets you both a safer passage and two extra (important) stables.
This is where you are when you first enter the mines. There are several routes to get to the Dolven-view, but this is the one I find easiest. There are a lot of hills and dips, plus pitfalls to avoid, so this is one of those areas you definitely need to walk through a couple times to learn the path. One thing to note on this map is that the actual route north before you turn east then southeast to get to Dolven-view is further north than the map shows it. Look for the guide NPC to know the actual spot to turn east.
Once you get to Dolven, it's a pretty straight shot north to the Chamber of Crossroads.
This is a good stable to pick up, as many Chps in Books 2, 3, and 4 will bring you back here. It's also really handy because the road to the east is completely mob free and a much easier route to the Twenty-first halls than if you had headed east out of Dolven and straight into Zelem-Melek.
The job through ZM is pretty dangerous if you're close to 50, but it's much better than going to the north- or south-east corners of Moria. The road is generally safe, it meanders up and down several series of stairs and the handful of mobs can usually be run past without too much trouble. The route on the map is over-simplified, but it's the general idea, and you can explore to find a good way.
The path is pretty straight forward. You go down several weaving staircases to reach the greater hall. You head to the northern wall and dodge L57-59 mobs while heading east. You'll reach a rickety rope bridge, which you cross. Then head north up a narrow hall. You'll have to turn east through what seems to be sandier terrain, then south through an identical hall. I like to call this section the Gauntlet because it is lined with mobs that will apply slows, bleeds, and if you stop to fight them, they heal themselves. You either need an escort to run ahead can grab aggro, be a burg who can stealth by... or level up to 53 or so before attempting.
So, if you make it past the Gauntlet, there are only a handful of more mobs to dodge before you get to a clearer straight path. There's a stable-master right next to the door to Lothlorien. Definitely grab it so you don't have to make the trek on foot again. 
Enjoy the trip!
