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Petzl Gully Adze Ice Axe
  • Petzl Gully Adze Ice Axe
  • Petzl Gully Adze Head
  • Petzl Gully Adze Bottom
  • Petzl Gully Ice Axe Pick

Gully Adze

Rating

My vote: None ( 3.7 avg )

Description

Ultra-light ice axe for technical mountaineering and steep skiing.

The GULLY ice axe is designed for technical mountaineering and steep skiing. Its tapered banana-shaped pick and the TRIGREST handrest (adjustable without a tool) ensure the performance required on technical sections.

Very technical and efficient:
- ice axe with steel head and banana-shaped pick that is tapered to 3 mm for efficient penetration and easy unhooking
- minimalist adze and hammer for cleaning holds or hammering a piton back in
- the TRIGREST handrest allows the position of the hand or the index finger to be adjusted into climbing mode quickly and without tools
- addition of weights (optional) improves anchoring quality in very cold ice

Compact:
- the beveled spike makes it easy to carry the ice axe in a pack without damage to the bag​

 

 

Retail price

US$ 179.95

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Weight (g / oz)

Weight (g / oz)

In grams and ounces, the weight, as stated by the manufacturer/brand.

Since the most common ice axe length is 50cm that is the main length that we reference.

When available, we list the weight for each length here.

280 g / 9.87 oz

45 cm: 280 g / 9.87 oz
(We have converted the grams to ounces)

Best Use

Best Use

Ultralight Mountaineering

The lightest axes available, used most for ski mountaineering, adventure racing, and other "go light" ascents. 350 grams is usually the max weight. The decreased weight means they are axes are built for snow missions, not ice.

Mountaineering

This is the most common type of snow mountaineering axe. These axes are above 350 grams and are a great balance of weight and durability. There may be a grip and they will always have an adze head (and no matching hammer pair). These axes are great for snow and can handle chopping steps in ice, or other small ice scenarios.

Technical Mountaineering

These axes are for tougher conditions when the majority of climbing is on snow, but the axe needs to be able to handle a short ice wall. They generally have a bent shaft and T-rated (more technical) pick. Often these beefier axes will have a rubberized grip and they may have a matching adze and hammer version. They're basically the offspring of an ice axe and ice tool.

Ultralight Mountaineering Technical Mountaineering
Length Options (cm)

Length Options (cm)

Measured in centimeters, the best length is based on your height and ape index (arm length). Holding the axe in your hand, the spike (sharp end) of the axe should arrive around your shin. At the max size, it should go to your ankle.

Two people of the same height could need a different sized axe, based on arm length (t-rex vs monkey). If in-between sizes, our bias is towards sizing shorter.

Rule of Thumb

  • Under 5'6" 50cm
  • 5'6" to 5'8" 50-55cm
  • 5'9" to 6'0" 50-60cm
  • 6'1" to 6'4" 55-65cm
  • Over 6'4" 60-70cm

Worth Considering

There are other resources online that suggest a longer axe is a plus and that you should measure below the ankle. We absolutely disagree. A longer axe means you'll be tempted to use it as a trekking pole (which will put you off balance), or you'll have to give your arm a huge workout just to lift it in and out of the snow. Ice axes are meant to be used on the uphill side, which is already much higher.

45 cm
Head Details

Head Details

This refers to the back of the ice axe head (opposite the pick).

For ice axes, adze's are (by far) the most common. An adze will allow you to break ice by chopping or shoveling in a specific area, and they also provide more room to hold on to the head than a hammer does. This grip helps for arresting too.

Hammers are usually only used as a pair with an adze on the other axe (hammer's are much more common in ice tools than ice axes). A hammer uses a more broad force to break ice bulges.

Adze
Pair axe: Gully Hammer
Ice Rating

Ice Rating

The certified rating of the pick and the shaft. These ratings might not match each other.

There are only 2 possible shaft ratings:

B / Type 1 / CEN-B: Basic
T / Type 2 / CEN-T: Technical

Pick: B / Type 1
Shaft: B / Type 1
Materials

Materials

The materials, as stated by the manufacturer / brand, of the pick, head, shaft and grip.

Pick: Steel
Head: Steel
Shaft: Aluminum
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Certification

Certifications

The main climbing gear certifications are CE and UIAA--and normally the UIAA creates the rules that the CE body also supports. When possible, we try to list all the certifications the product carries.

To sell a climbing product in Europe, the device must be CE certified. There are no official requirements to sell climbing gear in the US. The UIAA certification is a voluntary process.

For ice axes, there is a separate certification for the pick and the shaft.

Learn More

Rock and Ice Certifications Guide
CE, UIAA
Warranty

Warranty

This isn't super common, but sometimes the manufacturers will state a specific warranty such as "3 years against manufacturer defects"

3 years against manufacturer defects
AVG RATING
5.52
( 5.5 avg )
Rating
6
( 6 avg )

Ultralight, Ultraversatile

Pros
Good performance
Very lightweight
Good plunging
Cons
No interchangeable head
Familiarity
I’ve used it a bunch

I purchased this axe when I found my Summit was a little long for skiing. I looked at the Ride, which was lighter, but ultimately decided to sell my old Sum'tecs and replace them with the gulley. The New Sum'tecs were a little pricey for my tastes and I wanted to lightweight.

I also feel like the Sum'tecs lack rubber handles and get too cold for proper ice climbing.

The Gulley is a good alternative to the Ride with even more functional options. As a skimo ice axe it is just as good. The little handle slides perfectly, adn i seasy to adjust one handed. The axes plunges well, and feels stable.  The bend in the shaft is ideal, and provides a litte relief when daggering. 

On ice the gulley is not ideal as it doesn't have much intrinsic swing weight, but then than isn't really what it's meant for. You do hav eto muscle your swings a little more, but also guard from over driving the tool lest it get stuck. Either  way it's still a extremely capable ice and alpine axe, and  lags only slightly behind more purpose built options. As a northwall hammer, the Adze is perfect. 

If you're mostly ski mountaineering with a bit of technical climbing this is an ideal tool. If you wanted to climb more alpine then having some tape at the base would be a good idea for comfort and to keep the cold off. 

Rating
5.04
( 5 avg )

Could Ice Tools Get This Light?

Pros
Super Light
Swings and sticks very well
Cons
Pick not replaceable
Familiarity
I’ve used it a few of times

The Petzl Gully might be the secret sauce for remote ice climbs. Lighter than a lot of standard piolets, this axe climbs as well as its heavier cousins, though there isn't always the knuckle clearnace you'd like on super featured ice.

Sticks are solid in all kinds of ice and the pick shape is good for a few moves of mixed, though because the picks aren't replaceable, their sustained mixed use probably isn't recomended. Overall, this is a great axe for the occasional or remote ice pitch.

Outdoor Gear Lab Gear Review rating 4.5/5

While specialized, the Petzl Gully is a rad option for the right types of routes; it's tough to beat for the types of applications that it's designed for. While specialized, it does perform well for WI4 and can disappear inside your pack on an alpine rock climb with a tricky approach or help assist on your descent on techy ski mountaineering endeavors. The Gully is ideal for steep snow or moderate ice routes where weight is of great concern; don't cast aside that this model is super light, as it can still perform well on alpine ice climbs. In reality, the Gully is perfect for most summertime alpine ice routes like the North Ridge of Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades, the U-Notch Couloir in the Palisades, or even moderately difficult routes like the Chèré Couloir on the Mont Blanc du Tacul. On many of these routes, the Gully is a more ideal option (than a more traditional water ice tool), as its compact and super light design excel here. We recommend the Gully for early season alpine rock climbs or ski mountaineering, where its low weight and compact size are a huge benefit, and its steep snow climbing prowess will let you get through more technical terrain than most typical superlight axes.

My Outdoors Gear Review no rating given just a review

In use, the Petzl Ride makes for a great axe if you don’t intent to use it for technical climbing but want a lightweight classic mountaineering axe for ski touring, hiking and running.  It feels great in the hand, the head ergonomically shaped for a secure grip and the shaft featuring groves for that extra purchase for cutting steps. However, for anything technical and for those wanting to venture onto steeper terrain in the Alps or UK with a light and fast approach, the Petzl Gully is definitely is the superior option. The confidence gained in grip by the Trigrest makes the Gully feel much like you are wielding a lightweight technical tool rather than a classic mountaineering axe.

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