[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Findegil

I don't think that there was an other way around or over the chasm. What proteting would the bridge have been if there was an other way?

But the Orcs were seen greatte numbers at the border of Lorien the same night as Gollum. We can assume that they bridge the chasm sone after the fellowship left Moria. Probably the Orcs waited for the night, before they came out of Moria but Gollum could have moved earlier.

Certainly the Orcs waited for the night, and as for crossing the chasm, I just recalled that they had these cave-trolls who brought gangways over the fire. The pit itself was probably rather wide, but the bridge didn't collapse completely, I belive, so the trolls could have brought some large stone blocks to put them over the crack, so that the Orcs could pass.

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

I also tend to think Gollum got out before them. I think it was rather obvious that they were passing through Moria, and thus there would be only one place for them to exit. As I recall, Gollum did not follow them into Moria; he was already there, and drawn by the Ring, picked up their trail. My suspicion is that once they got closer to the east door, possibly during the night they slept in one of the upper chambers, he scooted ahead and out to a place where he could watch for them, safely away from the interference of Orcs and any other servant or ally of Sauron who would either take the Ring to him or want it for him/her/itself.

The only thing, like I already said, is that Gollum was seemingly blocked in Moria before. There were Orcs in the East Gate! How could he pass them unnoticed, WHY would he pass them? Even if he could sneak past them, why would he take the awful risk of confronting them in the first place? And the risk that for example the Fellowship saw the Orcs by the eastern gate or was confronted with them and decided to retreat back to the West again? That way, Gollum would lose the Ring again! Why would he run away from the Fellowship? THEY had the Ring, and it was not 100% sure that they'd pass through. What if they died and the Ring was left to rot somewhere in the dark corridors (or be picked up by Orcs, more likely)?
No, now thinking of it, I believe Gollum actually slipped out either just shortly before the Fellowship (with Orcs in his - and their - heels, not much time to think, their destination was to run, to escape to the east), or after them - which would be rather complicated, I think, as it would need to include the Orcs making a new "bridge" right after the Fellowship left (possibly in order to pursue them rightaway, which sounds a bit overstretched if you try to imagine it) and Gollum somehow managing to sneak past it... and then past the Orcs who have already crossed... okay, really, that won't do... (that's like that riddle where you have to find out how to make a cabbage, a goat and a wolf to cross the river using a boat for two, if you know it, or whatever modification in which you may know it...)

I guess we really have to put Gollum's crossing BEFORE the Fellowship, but sometime AFTER the Orc attack, I guess really after the visit of the Chamber of Mazarbul, imagining Gollum being basically pushed by a horde of Orcs to the East with no other choice but to go to the Bridge and across it, owing the luck and confusion of the Orc guards by the sudden disruption of the quiet routine for safe escape.