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I know there will be a straight forward answer from someone ie Exa but I was wondering how Gollum gained entry into Moria after the entrance was blocked off, I assumed there was a simple gap in the bardage which he crept into but I doubt it. Does he have a secret way which no one knows about ie like into Mordor hehe,

Also just another question of how he escaped after the bridge of Kaza-dum was destroyed, a suppos he could of jumped or went out the place he came in OR simply he can climb things really good and climbed his way over.

Gollum started pursuing the Hobbits on the 13th of January, exactly the day when the fellowship reached the West Gate of Moria; thus he cant be entered through the East Gate, as he did some time before, I think; probably, as you assumed, he might be entered through the destroyed Gate which wasnt totally locked off after the Watcher of the Water left. The Dwarves may have had some secret entrances, but I doubt that Gollum knew them.
As far as I know there were also other possibilities to cross the abyss than only this bridge; wouldve been too risky for the dwarves.

But, actually, I'm sorry to admit that I do not know.

you just made me reread those two chapters and i am like exa, without a clue. We can alll guess, but Tolkien never wrote about how he did that.

my guess is that he went ahead of the group and crossed the bridge before the fellowship did( minus gandalf of course). knowing Gollum he wouldn't have stayed around when the orcs and balrog was near.
As to how he got in the caves? I have nothing.

maybe gollum took the door the fellowship used to exit moria hoping to come head on with the fellowship....the bridge would not have been the only exit for the dwarves as thats like a skyscraper having ONE fire exit on the bottom floor.

gollum MAY have crossed the bridge before its destruction as when the orc appeared he would have fled....and if not the he DEFINATLEY would have run when the balrog appeared

thats just my thought on the matter we can but guess

well its gollum he would have waited for the ring to leave moria, then seeing aragorn and gandalf (his former captives) he would have hid and waited...by night the place was full of orcs (which even chased them into lorien) so gollum will have snuck so slowly behind then

ah I see, lol I actual asked a decent question huh, anyhows cheers for your help, I guess it is down to guessing on how he got there.

well i am pretty sure that i read somewhere that he entered the east gate seeking passage through the misty mountains but when he reached the west gate he was unable to open. i believe the doors from the inside would glide open if a sturdy dwarf pushed on them but gollum isnt a sturdy dwarf so he was stuck.

discos u did it. We finally got a question with a answer that eluded us.

bonus, never thought it would be me to be honest.

I was just thinking of it when I was in my Accounts class (very boring class where I do most of my thinking - I even came up with the idea of my own character "eagos" there), as it just struck me about where he came from all of a sudden.

There are probably alot more questions in my mind that need answering which I shall post later in the future - I cant think just now

well I dont think there is any account on any of gollum his following of the fellowship in Moria, actualy it doesn't matter that much. it is a mine after all, it is probably filled with passages. I think exa her explaining of gollum getting in was prolly the most logical

Gollum probably didn't know how to open the gates while inside. it's in the books somewhere.

Well, if you reach a door and want to get out, you try to move it then?

Though Gollum, so long without food, might have been too weak.

maybe, tho he always struck me as quite a strong lil fellow

gollum is quite weak, with or without food hehe.

I am not 100% what you are saying Exa, so gollum reached the gate and it was shut - where forth did he go after that to gain into Moria?

I sort of agree with Fire, to the hobbits he seemed viscious but as we seen in the EE of the Two Towers he was scared of Faramir and Faramir grabbed by the neck.

Was gollum a hobbit or a human before he gained possesion of the ring?

Most likely, Gollum was a hobbit although I don't believe the book specifically states whether or not he was. It does say that he came from a river area where hobbits were known to dwell. I'm too tired to look it up at the moment though.

I think he was a hobbit, the size and resemblance with smeagol should of gave it away,

Yes he WAS a hobbit though I forgot of which family

Seems that he reached the West Gate only little time earlier than the Fellowship

he was a stoor hobbit

they can swim ride boats

the updatedequivelent of a brandybuck although 500 years previous