Hell's Gate (Il Ciocco)

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Hell's Gate is not a track you can ride whenever you like but an extreme enduro race, held every year in February since 2004 at the Il Ciocco resort in the Tuscan Apennines. The idea came from enduro rider Fabio Fasola; the first edition ran through the night of 22 to 23 September 2003, on the autumn equinox. The format has two parts: in the morning a classic time-card enduro decides which 30 riders go through to the main event; in the afternoon a non-stop special stage runs over four laps with a single passage control, and anyone more than half an hour behind the leader is out. The organiser describes a course over waterfalls, swollen streams and rocky mountain trails as physically demanding and, in places, simply non-negotiable. By its own account the race helped found the modern extreme enduro scene and drew factory specialists from the major manufacturers. For you that means one thing above all: this is not a venue you drive to on a free weekend to turn a few laps. Rock and running water are sections you do not ride around, you survive them, and the morning leg decides whether you even see the main race. So if you want to take part, plan the entry for the February date rather than the journey - and early enough that your training and your machine are ready by then.