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The Highway to Hell Ultracycle, Turkmenistan 2025 Review

Well, we did it. We just created the first ever ultracycle event in Turkmenistan and we cycled across the Turkmenistan desert in August, in the heat, from Ashgabat to the iconic Gates of Hell. Aka the HIGHWAY TO HELL ULTRACYCLE. (COME JOIN ME IN 2026!)

There were 17 of us in total who undertook the expedition. 300 kilometers (200 miles) across two days on crappy Chinese foldable bikes. Then we explored Turkmenistan and the Gates of Hell and drunk bootleg booze and swapped stories and just had the trip of a lifetime and knowingly had achieved such a big thing, the first group ever to do so, was also really cool.

So that was the first edition of the Highway to Hell ultracycle. It will be a yearly event and the next one is in October 2026. There’s information about that at the bottom of this article, so come and join me for that. I promise you can do it. But this blog post is more about what is the Highway to Hell ultracycle and how did it come about and what did the first edition look like. So if you’re curious, read on.

The Concept: Cycling to Hell and Back

After launching the Eye of the Sahara Ultra Marathon in Mauritania (first edition was in 2024, you can read my review about that HERE, the 2nd edition in 2025 is impending – join me for that, or if that’s too soon, join our 2026 3rd EOTS edition in November 2026 HERE) I realised something. Not everyone can do long distance running. Fair enough. Some people’s knees are gone, some just hate it, and some simply prefer another kind of challenge. But what I’ve always believed is that pushing yourself to your ABSOLUTE limits physically, mentally, emotionally. That is for everyone, or at least is should be. That’s where the growth is. That’s where you find out who you are. So I started thinking, what’s the cycling version of running 160km across the Sahara?

I didn’t want to do something anyone could sign up for on a whim, like London to Paris. That’s a cool trip, but it’s not an adventure. I wanted something wild, remote, and a little bit ridiculous. Something that made people raise an eyebrow and say, “You’re doing what?!”

That’s where the idea for the Highway to Hell Ultracycle was born — a two-day, 300km (200 mile) ride across Turkmenistan. One of the least visited countries in the world. Finishing at the iconic Gates of Hell, a massive burning crater in the middle of the desert that’s been on fire for over 50 years. A place almost nobody has ever cycled to.

For me, it wasn’t just about cycling. It was about creating a platform where people could feel what I’ve felt through all my big expeditions. Life-changing. The sandstorms, the exhaustion, the camaraderie, the moments when you question everything and then keep going anyway. That’s the point.

So yeah, The Highway to Hell Ultracycle isn’t a typical event. Sure, it’s a ‘race’ in theory, but not really. No-one cares about time, aside from perhaps the winner. It’s an adventure. A test of spirit more than speed. The idea came from wanting to build something that could change people, not just challenge them. And if you make it to the Gates of Hell and see that crater blazing under the night sky, trust me, you’ll never forget it.

So I created it, and in 2025 we ran our first edition. So how did it go!?

Getting to Turkmenistan; Paperwork, permits, and patience

God, why do I do it to myself? For a start, even getting to Turkmenistan is a mission. Organising an event there is even harder. It’s one of the most closed-off countries on earth. Paperwork, permits, and patience are your best friends. Getting bikes across the border? Almost impossible. Every box was checked, rechecked, and then rejected again for good measure.

Honestly, it was a stupid idea on paper. Now I see why no-one does events in Turkmenistan! But I’d been there before, back when I was visiting every country in the world, and I knew a guy. I had been rejected multiple times from entering the country, and Artem fixed it. So now I leaned on my heavily to help sort all this.

That connection made all the difference. Through him, we managed to get approvals, local support, and just enough trust to bring this crazy plan to life.

By the time we finally rolled into Ashgabat, with all the bikes, gear, and riders accounted for, it already felt like a victory. The city itself is like nowhere else on earth. It is SPOTLESS. All marble and gold, like a billionaire built a dream city in the middle of the desert (thanks to all that natural gas).

The Team, the Bikes and the Build-Up

We had 17 people flying in from all over the world. For me, a mix of old faces and new. Five of them were runners from our first ever Eye of the Sahara Ultra in Mauritania. So it felt like a reunion of the mad ones. Then a few friends joined, and the rest were new adventurers crazy enough to sign up for a 300km ride through Turkmenistan.

Everyone had the option to bring their own bike… or buy a SHITE Chinese bike from the local market for about $100. I warned them not to. Guess how many listened? 15 out of 17. So there we were, prepping for an extreme ride on bikes that looked like they’d collapse if you sneezed on them. More on that later…

Visas, customs letters, endless approvals. Finally it was time.

We all met in Ashgabat. My team met everyone at the airport, brought them to the hotel. Jet-lagged, nervous, standing in the hotel lobby surrounded by cardboard bike boxes and bottled water. No one said it out loud, but we were all thinking the same thing: What the hell have we just signed up for? We had dinner, a briefing, and then a 4am start ready to tackle day 1, and 150km (100 miles).

The Route: From Ashgabat to the Unknown

DAY 1:

That’s when we found out the truth. I hadn’t even noticed. The bikes were foldable!! Actual foldable city bikes. Heavy as hell. In theory that had gears, but after them breaking constantly, we figured it was best to find one gear and stick to it. This was going to be tough. We fixed what we could with a few tools (thanks Joel), tightened everything, packed our gear into the support cars, and loaded up all the water and bags.

At 5am, we rolled out of Ashgabat in the dark. Day 1 started smooth. Perfect roads, empty streets, the city glowing gold behind us. For the first 20km, we rode as one group, like a peloton. Then, less than one kilometre in, a bike snapped.

My heart sank. First breakdown in ten minutes. This is n0t a great sign when we still had nearly 300km to go. I was sure I’d ruined the whole event with these awful bikes. Luckily, I’d brought four spares, twenty wheels, and piles of tyres. Still, it wasn’t exactly confidence-inspiring.

Thankfully, I had organised it so the route itself wasn’t self-sufficient. I’d organised water stops every 30km, so four each day. Riders carried their own snacks and enough water to make it to the next checkpoint. After the first 30km stop, the group naturally spread out. A few fast riders shooting ahead, others pacing themselves.

We had a car at the front, one sweeping the back, a small camera crew, and a third vehicle constantly leapfrogging between riders. The goal was simple: make it to camp before sunset. The heat was climbing fast too. Desert, August, no shade, cracked roads, sand blowing sideways. It was brutal.

The terrain got progressively worse. From a 10/10 at the start, to some points probably a 5. But it wasn’t awful. Not that you’d know it from the swearing, the breakdowns and of course the breakthroughs. It wasn’t pretty, but it was magic.

My group finished up around 2 or 3pm at camp. 100 miles done. Already David, our eventual winner, had been there 2 hours! We waited for the next group. We heard from my support staff that people had quit. Sore bums, too tired, too hot. So we waited to see how everyone was doing. Camp was set up for us, a tent each, and they prepped dinner while vehicles picked up anyone who had quit.

Day 1, we had 7 of 17 reach the check-point in time. Of the 10 who failed, none of them failed due to the time. They decided that the adventure was the goal, not the distance, or the race. So once they had enough, they simply opted to hop in the cars. Others (like me!) are married to the goal like a psycho. And they battled every demon, and the pain, and the sweat and tears, to pull into camp like legends. 150km in the bag. Ready for day 2.

DAY 2: 17 started, how many would finish?

Another 150km ahead. Over dinner the night before, a few people admitted they wished they hadn’t quit so early. Others swore they’d make it through Day 2 no matter what, desperate to reach the Gates of Hell and finish what they’d started. Some were content just being part of it, but everyone could feel it. Tomorrow was going to be rough. I knew the terrain ahead was far worse. I debated whether to tell them. I did. The trepidation kicked in instantly.

We were up before sunrise, and it was cold. Everyone looked half-dead but weirdly determined. After Day 1, we’d all slept like rocks. Exhaustion will do that. At dawn, we rolled out. Seventeen started, how many would finish?

The first 20 or 30 kilometres were fine. Flat roads, good rhythm, nice temps. But then the tarmac started to crumble. The desert was swallowing the road. Cracks, potholes, sand drifts. The suspension on those cheap Chinese foldable bikes was laughable. Every bump rattled through your spine, and your ass.

Right on cue, the sun rose and with it, the heat. Thankfully we had some cloud cover, but august in the desert is still august in the desert! At the same time, the road almost vanished completely for sections. The combo was savage. Within the first hour, Max, Joel, Paul and I had three punctures between us. We fixed them, swore a lot, and kept moving.

On paper, 150km doesn’t sound insane. But in that heat, on those roads, on those bikes, with bodies battered from yesterday? It was hell. Painkillers, electrolytes, willpower (or was it ego?!) that was all that kept people going.

Around 2pm, we hit the final turn-off. THANK YOU GOD. The ‘road’ to the crater. I’d been there ten times before, so I knew what was coming. The tarmac disappeared entirely, replaced by loose sand and rocks. Some riders gave it a go. I tried too. I crashed four times in twenty minutes. Eventually, we all gave up and pushed the last kilometre or two.

Then suddenly, there it was. The Gates of Hell. A burning pit in the middle of the desert. It’s not as dramatic in daylight, but it’s still wild. A massive gaping inferno. We rolled into camp, 500 metres away, a little broken but buzzing.

David, our winner, was already there. Calm, smiling. He had brought his own bike from the States and it had proven to be a wide decision! Over the next few hours, riders arrived one by one, each greeted like a hero. Out of seventeen starters, fifteen made it. Unreal effort.

As the sun set, we cracked open a bottle of whiskey, or 3, we’d saved for this moment. The crater burned bright in the distance. Everyone was filthy, sunburned, and smiling like lunatics. I handed out the medals one by one, the fire lighting up the night. We sat by the crater for hours, drinking and celebrating. 80s tunes blasting out of my cheap speaker.

What a feeling. What an experience. The Highway to Hell Ultracycle was done. And we’d actually made it, all the way to hell and back.

THE SHOW WASN’T OVER! Exploring Turkmenistan

After suffering through the cycle, it was time to explore Turkmenistan. After our party at the gates of hell, we made our way back to Ashgabat to a real shower, and clean clothes. Some real food, after 2 days of electrolytes and energy gels. And that night we took an old Soviet night train across the entire country to Turkmenibashi.

Plenty of bootleg booze on the train, continuing our celebrations, and then a visit to the EPIC Yangkala canyon. Where we got some pics hanging off the edge.

A nice dinner, then the following morning we flew back to Ashgabat where I had a little surprise from the tean. We’re staying the iconic 5+* hotel in Ashgabat to say well done for surviving!

A city tour of Ashgabat, and a rooftop dinner in the posh hotel. What a ride.

Join Me for the 2026 Highway to Hell

COME SUFFER WITH US! The 2nd edition of the Highway to Hell Ultracycle is in October 2026, JOIN ME HERE:

If you’ve read this far and thought that sounds insane but incredible, you’re my kind of person!

The Highway to Hell Ultracycle 2026 is happening, and you can join me. We’ll be cycling across one of the most isolated, fascinating countries on earth, Turkmenistan, ll the way to the legendary Gates of Hell.

It’s not for the faint-hearted. It’s hot, tough, and unpredictable. But it will be one of the best adventures of your life. If you’re ready to push yourself, meet amazing people, and do something that will live with you forever, this is your chance. COME SUFFER WITH US.