Não parece haver qualquer razão para acreditar que qualquer "criatura" estivesse envolvida nos eventos sobre Caradhras. Parece que o culpado era provavelmente a própria montanha ou o clima.
Todas as citações abaixo foram tiradas do capítulo The Ring Goes South no livro The Fellowship of the Ring .
Gimli apóia claramente a teoria "Caradhras is a jerk":
"’Caradhras was called the Cruel, and had an ill name,’ said Gimli, ’long years ago, when rumour of Sauron had not been heard in these lands.’"
E:
"’Caradhras has not forgiven us,’ he said. ’He has more snow yet to fling on us if we go on. The sooner we go back and down the better.’"
E:
"’It was no ordinary storm. It is the ill will of Caradhras. He does not love Elves and Dwarves, and that drift was laid to cut off our escape.’"
O narrador parece concordar com Gimli às vezes:
"And indeed with that last stroke the malice of the mountain seemed to be expended, as if Caradhras was satisfied that the invaders had been beaten off and would not dare to return. The threat of snow lifted; the clouds began to break and the light grew broader."
E:
"A cold wind flowed down behind them, as they turned their backs on the Redhorn Gate, and stumbled wearily down the slope. Caradhras had defeated them."
Gandalf considera brevemente a possibilidade de Sauron ser o culpado, mas rapidamente muda de tom e diz que é apenas uma simples e velha tempestade.
"’Winter deepens behind us,’ he said quietly to Aragorn. ’The heights away north are whiter than they were; snow is lying far down their shoulders. Tonight we shall be on our way high up towards the Redhorn Gate. We may well be seen by watchers on that narrow path, and waylaid by some evil; but the weather may prove a more deadly enemy than any.’"
Boromir concorda:
"I was born under the shadow of the White Mountains and know something of journeys in the high places. We shall meet bitter cold, if no worse, before we come down on the other side. It will not help us to keep so secret that we are frozen to death."
No entanto, Boromir reconsidera quando a Sociedade é quase destruída por pedras caindo:
"'Let those call it the wind who will; there are fell voices on the air; and these stones are aimed at us.’"
Aragorn não tem tanta certeza, mas parece gostar de Boromir:
Os culpados mais prováveis na tempestade em cima de Caradhras são a própria montanha e o clima (o último dos quais não é uma resposta muito excitante). Passagens como as que se seguem provavelmente pretendem criar incerteza por parte do leitor, mas elas não nos dão informações suficientes para tratá-las como algo além de uma narrativa dramática.’I do call it the wind,’ said Aragorn. ’But that does not make what you say untrue. There are many evil and unfriendly things in the world that have little love for those that go on two legs, and yet are not in league with Sauron, but have purposes of their own.’"
"They heard eerie noises in the darkness round them. It may have been only a trick of the wind in the cracks and gullies of the rocky wall, but the sounds were those of shrill cries, and wild howls of laughter. Stones began to fall from the mountain-side, whistling over their heads, or crashing on the path beside them. Every now and again they heard a dull rumble, as a great boulder rolled down from hidden heights above."
Em qualquer caso, se você decidir acreditar que a tempestade foi causada por forças naturais, uma montanha malévola ou algo completamente diferente, não há absolutamente nenhuma evidência de que alguma criatura esteja presente durante o incidente.
