Before they
close it!
3rd edition
Group ultracycle with Johnny Ward
Highway to Hell 300km by bike to the Gates of Hell
The 3rd edition, 2027
300km. Two days. One desert. A crater on fire.
You’ve seen too many people do too many cool things online. They’re no better, stronger or cooler than you, and this is how you prove it to yourself.
I’m not an elite athlete. I’m just a guy who decided to do some epic stuff, then some more. So I built an event where you’re the hero of the story: 300km of desert riding in one of the least visited countries on earth, finishing at the Gates of Hell.
This year I’m co-hosting with Fergal Guihen, who cycled from Ireland to Australia and rode the 2nd edition with me. If you’re going to be stuck in a desert with a bike and anyone, make it Fergal.
Event highlights
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300km in two days
Sunrise starts, straight through the desert
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Anyone can do it
Sunrise to sunset to finish each day
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Fully supported
Water every 30km, mechanic, nurse and camp
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Finish at the Gates of Hell
Camp by the burning crater
Trip facts
- Dates
- Trip length
- Distance
- 300km over 2 race days
- Support
- Water every 30km, mechanic, nurse
- Rooms
- Twin share, single available
- Visa
- We sort the paperwork
Day by day
The Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Ashgabat
· Hotel, Ashgabat
Arrive any time on August 8th, ideally early so you can prep for tomorrow. My team will pick you up from the airport, whatever time you land.
We check our gear, then sleep. Need to come a day early? Message me and I’ll help sort it.
Day 2: Race Day 1: 150km
Camp in the desert
Early start, folks. Quick brekkie, then the support cars drive us to the start line around sunrise. The buzzer goes and we’re off: 150km to get through before sunset.
Somewhere between 5 and 15 hours later you roll into camp, your time is logged, and tents and dinner are waiting. Rest that ass. One more big day tomorrow.
Day 3: Race Day 2: To the Gates of Hell
Camping at the crater
How’s that ass today? Not great. Sunburn, weary limbs, the lot. Breakfast together, back to the start line, and go again across the cooking summer desert on an awful road.
Then the Gates of Hell, burning in your honour. Your time’s logged and you’re officially a legend. A night in tents with some booze and new friends is just what the doctor ordered.
Day 4: Recovery & Back to Ashgabat
Hotel, Ashgabat
Recovery (or hangover). Brekkie in the desert, then we drive back to Ashgabat for a city tour of one of the strangest capitals on earth.
Then it’s your last night in Turkmenistan, complete with medal and memories. Or keep going with the add-on: see Day 5.
Day 5: Fly Home, or Keep Going
· Fly home, or night train to the Caspian
Most of you fly home today, sore, sunburnt and proud.
Or extend with me for the optional 3-day add-on: an old Soviet night train right across the country to the Caspian Sea, Yangy Kala canyon, a flight back to Ashgabat for Nisa Fortress and the famous Turkmen horses, and home on August 14th.
Your hosts
Johnny Ward & Fergal Guihen
Irish guy, been to every country in the world, not an elite athlete. Over the years I’ve done a lot of crazy physical challenges, and they’ve shaped who I am more than almost anything. Most of them were absolute torture at the time. I’ll be cycling right there with you.
So will Fergal, who cycled from Ireland to Australia and is now a veteran of this awful road to the Gates of Hell.
You’ll be a legend when you finish it. And finish it you will.
For people who want a story
Why ride to Hell?
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You’re the hero
Not some guy or girl you follow online. You. 300km off road will be hell, but you’ll be a legend when you finish.
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Not self-sufficient
No carrying days of food and kit. Our Turkmen team sets up camp each night, with proper local food for meat eaters and vegetarians alike.
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The Gates of Hell
A gas crater that collapsed in 1971 and was set alight by Soviet scientists. It’s burned for over 50 years, and engineers are now trying to shut it.
Before you book
Good to Know
How hard is it? Can anyone really do it?
Yes, anyone! It’s not short, but you have all day, sunrise to sunset, so 14 or 15 hours. Even at a super pedestrian 10km an hour you’ll make it. The fittest finish hours earlier, the slowest still get there.
Is the race self-sufficient?
No! I hate those. You don’t carry food or sleeping kit. There are spare bikes and a mechanic, water whenever you need it, and camp and dinner waiting every night.
How about water?
There are flagged water stations every 30km along the route. Refill at will, then crack on to the next one.
Won’t I get lost?
It’s (almost) impossible. Off-road support vehicles drive back and forth along the route all day, you ride in one direction, and you only ever have to make it 30km to the next checkpoint.
What about medical care?
Your ass will get chewed up. That’s a fact, folks. A nurse stays with us at camp every night to tend to your wounds, and there’s a doctor on call.
How about the visa?
We’ve got you. It’s one of the toughest visas in the world, but my team organises the letter of invitation and all the paperwork. You turn up at the airport and pay the fee. No rejections yet.
Can I come solo?
Yes. Prices are per person sharing and I’ll match you up with a buddy. Or pay the €549 single supplement for your own room.
Price and what’s included
What’s included
- Letter of invitation and all help with the visa, so you get it on arrival
- All transport (apart from the 300km cycle, obviously)
- Race logistics: water stops, water, support vehicles, mechanic and nurse
- All meals during the cycle event
- Local guide
- Western guide (me! I’ll be cycling too)
- All accommodation: hotels in Ashgabat, camping or yurts on the cycle
- Optional add-on: Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi sleeper train and domestic flight back
What’s not included
- Lunches and dinners in the cities (about $10 a meal)
- Visa fee, paid on arrival ($50–120 for most nationalities)
- COVID testing, if required
- Video or photo fees, if asked (I’ve never had to pay)
Event price
€1,949
Per person sharing · 5 days
- €250 non-refundable deposit secures your spot
- Full payment due May 30, 2027
- Single room supplement €549
- Optional 3-day add-on to the Caspian Sea, ending August 14th
- Pay by card through WeTravel
Round 3
See you at the Gates of Hell.
Come suffer with us. Book online in a couple of minutes, or message me with any questions.
Rather pay by bank transfer? Email johnny@onestep4ward.com
As you know, blogging changed my life. I left Ireland broke, with no plan, with just a one-way ticket to Thailand
and no money. Since then, I started a blog, then a digital media company, I've made
more than $1,500,000 USD, bought 4 properties and visited (almost) every country in the world. And I did it all from my laptop as I
travel the world and live my dream. I talk about how I did it, and how you can do it too, in my COMPLETELY FREE
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