| Valley | |
| Pass of Anach | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Other names | Anach |
| Location | Between Ered Gorgoroth and the Crissaegrim |
| Type | Valley |
| Description | "hard and dangerous road" |
| People and History | |
| Inhabitants | Orcs of Morgoth, foul unknown beasts |
The Pass of Anach (from an = "long") was a long and narrow pass that ran down out of the highlands of Dorthonion, cutting south-west between the near-impassable mountains of the Crissaegrim and Ered Gorgoroth. Towards its southern end, where it opened into the land of Dimbar, were the springs of the River Mindeb.[1]
In the later years of the First Age, Dorthonion fell under Morgoth's control, and with it the Pass of Anach. His Orcs began to use it as a way down from the highlands, building a road through the valley to reach and harass the lands beyond.[2] Ultimately they succeeded in conquering not only Dimbar, but also the regions to the east that ran along the borders of Doriath.