Hell’s Gate National Park

I spend my afternoon at Lake Naivasha bicycling through Hell’s Gate National Park (not to be confused with Hell’s Gate geothermic area in New Zealand, which I wrote about last year).

Hell’s Gate is located just a few miles from our campsite on the lake. The biggest highlights are Fischer’s Tower (a giant pile of rocks) and a truly impressive gorge which tourists can hike through. It’s also worth noting that, similar to Crater Lake reserve, you can get up close and personal with the wildlife here… perhaps too close, as I find out later in the day. Hell’s Gate can be seen either on bike or vehicle (I’m reading on-line that they allow motorbikes, but when I visit in person they do NOT allow motorbikes into the park… perhaps that’s a more recent change).

The entrance fee is around $30 USD and if memory serves correct it’s $12 to rent a bike for the afternoon. (I rent a bike directly from the park but you can negotiate for cheaper with bike rentals outside the park.) I tell the head ranger about my blog and he kindly waives the entrance fee, while I pay for the bike rental.

I don’t have time for lunch after my morning plans at Crater Lake, so I pick up crackers from Elsa’s Den gift shop to tide me over until dinner.

Quick note about the frequency of the name Elsa in this area — it refers to the name of the orphaned lion cared for by Joy Adamson, the author of Born Free. Adamson and her husband George raised Elsa in their home at Lake Naivasha in the 1950’s before eventually releasing her into the wild; today, guests can visit Elsamere overnight or for high tea. So while Disney references are rampant all over Africa (especially in regards to The Lion King), this particular name has nothing to do with Frozen. Although should Disney decide to one day tell the animated tale of lioness Elsa and her human parents, it wouldn’t surprise me.

I set out on my bike journey. It’s about 17km to the gorge and back (8.5 km each way), and I have 2.5 hours. When you factor in a hike at the gorge, I’m cutting it close but I’m determined to make it.

This is Fischer’s Tower in the distance, popular with rock climbers:

These zebras are skittish and I take care not to get too close to them, lest they snort and dash off in the opposite direction. (That happens anyway.)

These are the only other cyclists I pass in the afternoon, but I think there’s a lot more in the morning.

These are impalas, easily spotted by the large ‘M’ on their behinds. Guides throughout Africa joke that the M looks like the golden arches, which is appropriate because impalas are “fast food for leopards.” I laugh every time someone cracks this joke.

I cycle on, stopping when I pass a regal giraffe.

I hear rustling in the brush and notice a baby giraffe! Isn’t it beyond adorable?

S/he comes over to its mama for a drink.

One more zebra encounter on my way to the gorge:

I’m pressed for time but now that I’ve come all this way, I have to hike the gorge. I anticipate doing it myself but the rangers are skeptical, saying that it’s easy to get lost down there. It sounds like these guys just want tips but my suspicions are wrong — I can confirm that a guide is necessary for first-time visitors, and I am so glad I didn’t try to go alone.

Here’s my guide:

I pictured an easy stroll through the gorge, but it’s more intense than that — the guide assists by pointing out where to place my feet to navigate the rocks.

This area is more like a slot canyon with water running through it — the walls are smooth and rounded, and it’s tricky to pass through it. We end up placing our feet on the walls to sort of shimmy through it.

Guess what? Some of the waterfalls are hot because they pass near geothermic areas.

After maybe 20-30 minutes we come to an open area in the main gorge. Since I’m doing the shorter loop (45 minutes as opposed to 90) we only venture part way down one and then turn around to come back.