If you’ve ever dreamed of a true challenge for your Bronco, Hell’s Revenge in Moab is probably a trail that is on top or near the top of your go to trails.
Hell’s is rated on a difficulty level of 6 in a 1-10 scale developed and interpreted by the Red Rock 4 Wheelers club, located in Moab. Now, a 6 can be hard to interpret on the “will my Bronco make it” scale as there are personal factors to consider, such as: trim and build, personal driving skill set, fear of heights and exposure, and willingness to potentially damage your vehicle.
You may have even gone to the step of asking the question on forums, only to get the answers like, “it’s so easy to it’s horrible, we broke or rolled over, we’ll never go there again”.
I’ve been driving Hell’s Revenge since 2007, and have been on the trail at least 100 times, in all kinds of weather conditions including night runs.
Can a Stock Bronco Drive Hell’s Revenge?
My answer to whether a stock Bronco can do it is generally yes. There are places where a rear locker is helpful but with good driving skills and proper line choice selections, Hell’s Revenge can be done without a locker and without a lift.
A few weeks ago, there were some questions on the forum about Hell’s Revenge and if there are guides that can be hired because they were not comfortable going out alone. I said maybe we could meet up and run the trail together, because the Walden’s were also coming in their new Ranger Raptor and wanted to test it out.
Finding the Right Time
We found a day where the temperatures were forecasted for below 100 degrees and there was a smaller rain risk. We agreed to meet at the trailhead at 8:00am and decided to take our buggy so we could give everyone a chance to see a vehicle go through Hell’s Gate, Mickey’s Hot Tub, and the Escalator, all of which are optional, more challenging obstacles just off the main trail.
We had a few false starts with missing radios and drones but finally got underway. Hell’s Revenge is surprising because you are literally drive through a paved parking lot and immediately start climbing steeply up a long, and somewhat narrow sandstone fin. I’ve had many people tell me that it is the worst part of the trail but if you keep your tires on the black double lines, you’ll climb over just fine and the trail gets much wider on the backside.
Offroading Hell’s Gate
Steve Jakob started out in his Everglades Sasquatch and the smiles quickly followed. Those who have never driven on steep sandstone are surprised to find the incredible, almost gravity defying traction that tires find, enabling off-road vehicles to make easy work of inclines that would be very challenging in other terrains.
The three vehicles moved through the trail, which is a combination of incredible climbs and descents, some sand, and a few ledgy sections. We worked our way over to the famous obstacle called Hell’s Gate. Everyone went to the exit to watch, while I drove everyone else, one at a time, up it.
Steve Walden, in his Ranger Raptor, went next, having driven it before in his 2 door Bronco Badlands. With a little bit of spotting, he drove right up which I think clinched it for Steve to go for it in the Everglades.
Despite the drone crashing into the rock and falling at my feet, a good team effort was made and the Everglades climbed like a boss. Although many will tell you that Hell’s Gate is easy, there can still be some consequence, especially if you slide off the wall on the first half of the climb, you can get some vehicle damage.
Additional Obstacles on Hell’s Revenge
There are three named hot tub obstacles that are legal to drive through, the names I was taught 15 years ago or so are: the Car Wash, the Big Hot tub (also called Devil’s Highway), and Mickey’s Hot tub. The Car Wash is a fairly easy climb, as long as you know the correct route dropping in so all of us went through it.
The buggy has been through the Big Hot tub several times, but I don’t attempt it if there’s water in the tub, and there was quite a bit of oily water, so we passed on by.
Mickey’s Hot tub was almost dry so I took the buggy through that one, it can be driven by Broncos, especially if you put a strap on the front end and have a couple guys pull the front end down so it doesn’t unload. We started having some fuel issues and realized that the fuel pump was going out, so we started limping out to the exit.
After a few stalls and starts, we finally made it up the Golden Staircase and back to the parking lot and up onto the trailer. Everyone was feeling great about the day, so we decided to have a late lunch at Dewey’s. Everyone did a great job on the trail, competing Hell’s Gate and entire trail without incident. (Well, maybe a couple of marks on the bash plates).
I know many of you have tales from Hell’s Revenge. Feel free to comment, tell your story or share a photo.
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