This is pure speculation of course because it doesn’t even hint about it in the book. Maybe he knew about a secret entrance? Maybe he knew about Cirith Ungol?
Well he knew about Cirith Ungol since he reacts badly to Faramir’s report on Frodo’s planned path. Given his reaction I’d bet he wasn’t planning on passing that near the Morgul Valley or the spider’s lair.
I’d wager Gandalf didn’t have a plan and simply hoped that a path would open up as they neared their goal. The Ainur didn’t have perfect knowledge of what would happen in the future and Gandalf, even less so given his incarnation.
To Gandalf, “Hope for a miracle” counts as a plan.
All that rock climbing and rappelling Frodo and Sam had to do in the Emyn Muil? That was just a warm-up.
Gandalf. Servant of The Secret Fire. Wielder of The Flame of Anor.
Master Mountaineer.
(edit: in a more serious vein, I wonder whether the Council had any plan at all as to how they were going to get in. Perhaps they (Gandalf and Elrond) had a secret plan but were unwilling to reveal it until it was time. Something involving eagles, I expect.)
He was going to get to the Black Gate, realize there’s no way in, then call on the Eagles for help. You know, like he should have thought of back in Rivendell.
Another question: In the beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring, he knew that Gollem was tortured to spill the beans about “Hobbit” and “Shire”. How did he find that out? Did he have spies, and if he did, how did they get in and out? Or was there another palintir?
This ties back in to the Bilbo/Smaug thread. Gandalf was a confirmed believer in the theory of divine providence. You just point yourself in the right direction, and eventually, good things happen. Ways open up. Even the most seemingly unlikely strategy will work. Witness his determination from the beginning to go through Moria.
I doubt he had any good idea because he couldn’t know what the situation was going to be at the time. Who was still going to be with him, and who was going to go off to Minas Tirith? What was Sauron going to be doing at the time? What about Saruman? With so many variables, he just would have kept chugging along toward the ultimate goal.
Better question: what would the Fellowship have done after Lothlorien had Gandalf still been in charge?
Gollum was released from Mordor and captured by Aragorn near the Dead Marshes and brought to Gandalf who then interrogates him. Gollum is then left in the care of the elves of Mirkwood.
If you will recall, Aragorn manages to capture Gollum in the Dead Marshes, and takes him to the elves in Mirkwood, where he is held for Gandalf to interrogate. It is during the interrogation that Gandalf determines that Gollum made it into Mordor, was captured, tortured, and released.
Of course, you won’t recall that if you watched the movies and didn’t read the books, since they didn’t cover that fine detail in the movies. 
He ran across Gollum and asked him.
There is an old Vulcan proverb: only Gandalf could go to Mordor
Teleport. C’mon, it’s only a 5th-level spell, so you’d figure a epic-level character with divine rank would know it.
He was simply going to walk into there.
You’re right, it’s long past time for a re-read, starting with The Hobbit.
Whatever happened to Find the Path? An epic character ought to have access to Greater Divination spells.
You do not simply WALK into MORDOR. GOD. :rolleyes:
Sure you do. You totally do.
Rumors of Gandalf exclaiming, “I love it when a plan comes together” should be ignored.
Who does Gandalf think he is, Chuck Norris?
Oh, c’mon! Chuck doesn’t need to drop the One Ring into molten lava; he simply breathes on it and it falls apart. 