Hell's Gate gravel ride: LOOP Safari Gravel route in Naivasha

Safari Gravel Race Hell's Gate 2027: date, venue, entry

Date: the race is usually held in June; the 2026 edition was on Saturday 13 June. The organiser's website says to check back for 2027, and no date has been announced yet.

Venue: in 2026 the race was based in Naivasha, with press reports placing the start at Sulmac Village on the southern edge of Lake Naivasha. The 2027 venue has not been published.

Routes: in 2026 there were four options: Cubs, a kids' race and kids' zone; Chui, 20 km; Duma, 60 km; and Simba, 100 km, the UCI Gravel World Championships qualifier route.

Entry fees: not yet published for 2027. For 2026, East African citizens and Kenyan residents paid a KES 2,500 race fee plus KES 500 park entry: KES 3,000 by M-Pesa, or KES 2,500 through the LOOP app. Kids paid KES 500. International riders paid €135, which covered entry and park fees, a timing chip, feed station access and a finisher prize.

Official website: www.safariraceseries.com

Checked on 8 November 2026 against the official race website; confirm details there before you enter.

The route

The organiser describes the 100 km Simba loop as the toughest route in the series. It starts with fast sections around Flamingo Farm and the volcanic tracks of Hell's Gate, then heads into the remote country to the south-west, through Ntuutu, Nkampani and the edges of Olkunyak.

Expect loose, rocky and rutted tracks, washboard surfaces and big changes in height: the route drops to about 1,672 m and crosses five passes above 2,200 m, with about 1,950 m of climbing in all, according to the organiser.

On our map, drawn from the organiser's 2026 GPX file, the loop covers about 94.3 km.

Riding through Hell's Gate

Hell's Gate National Park lies near Lake Naivasha, about 90 km from Nairobi. It is named after a narrow break in the cliffs, and its gorge is lined with red cliffs and two volcanic plugs, Fischer's Tower and Central Tower. The Olkaria geothermal power stations sit inside the park.

It is one of only two national parks in Kenya where walking and cycling are allowed, so riders share the plains with zebra, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and Thomson's gazelle. The landscape is said to have inspired the setting of The Lion King.

Riding it

Prepare for a long day on rough ground:

• Use wide gravel or mountain bike tyres that can handle volcanic dust, rocks and washboard.
• Carry enough food and water for the remote stretches between feed stations.
• Give wildlife plenty of room, and read the race manual before the day.

Keep the ride on your wall

We print the Hell's Gate route on the real terrain, so the gorge, the cliffs and the hills around Naivasha stand out in 3D with your line raised in colour. Add your name, date and time, or upload your own GPX if you rode a different route.