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Petzl Gully Review

Summertime alpine and moderate water ice slayers, this superlight tool can't be touched for its performance to weight ratio
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Petzl Gully Review
Credit: Petzl
Price:  $180 List
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Manufacturer:   Petzl
By Ian Nicholson ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Dec 11, 2019
77
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#6 of 17
  • Self-Arresting - 15% 8.0
  • Digging & Step Chopping - 15% 4.0
  • Use as Improvised Anchor - 15% 7.0
  • Steep Ice & Snow - 25% 9.0
  • Comfort to Carry - 5% 6.0
  • Weight - 25% 9.0
RELATED: Best Ice Axes

Our Verdict

The Petzl Gully is a true hybrid of an ice tool and an ultralight axe. While certainly not your classic all-arounder, the Gully proved itself far more versatile than we originally gave it credit for. When we first got our hands on it, we certainly appreciated how light it was but felt it was too niche for most people; that is where we were dead wrong. Like most ultralight models, this won't be your only ice axe, but it is FAR more versatile than most sub 12 ounce models. It climbs steep snow and water ice well and can be paired with a traditional ice axe for moderately steep snow climbs or used as a pair when the difficulty rises. It's light enough for alpine rock climbing or ski mountaineering, and its short compact size means it can fit inside your pack, which is a plus. The fact that it has a proper pick (unlike a lot of other ultralight models) means it can provide some security and help you continue to move quickly if the going gets tough.
REASONS TO BUY
Climbs steep snow and water ice nearly as well as an ice tool
Lightweight
Compact length means it can go inside the pack for ski-mountaineering & alpine rock climbing
Adjustable slider pommel
REASONS TO AVOID
Self-arresting
Versatility
Adze option is on the small side

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petzl gully
This Product
Petzl Gully
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Ice Axe
Top Pick Award
Best for Steep Snow & Ice
Top Pick Award
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
Price $179.95 at Dick's Sporting Goods
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$159.95 at REI
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$199.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods
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$109.95 at REI
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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line This super lightweight model is specialized but works extremely well for moderate snow and ice climbs, ski-mountaineering, and alpine rock climbingIf we could only own one ice axe, this would be itBuilt with versatility and steep alpine routes in mind, this model has the shaft of an ice axe with the head of an ice toolA surprisingly versatile axe considering its impressively low weightA solid general mountaineering axe for a great price
Rating Categories Petzl Gully Petzl Summit Evo Petzl Sum'Tec Petzl Glacier Literide Black Diamond Raven
Self-Arresting (15%)
8.0
9.0
7.0
8.0
5.0
Digging & Step Chopping (15%)
4.0
9.0
9.0
7.0
7.0
Use as Improvised Anchor (15%)
7.0
8.0
9.0
7.0
7.0
Steep Ice & Snow (25%)
9.0
9.0
10.0
5.0
3.0
Comfort to Carry (5%)
6.0
9.0
6.0
7.0
10.0
Weight (25%)
9.0
7.0
6.0
8.0
5.0
Specs Petzl Gully Petzl Summit Evo Petzl Sum'Tec Petzl Glacier Literide Black Diamond Raven
Measured Weight 9.8 oz/280 g 14.1 oz/400 g 17.1 oz/485 g 11.2 oz/320 g 16 oz/437 g
Category Ultralight/Technical General Modular Ultralight General
Rating CEN-B CEN-B CEN-T CEN-B CEN-B
Pick Shape, Material, and Construction Forged steel, slight reverse curve Hot-forged steel, Classic Positive curve Modular head, compatible with all Petzl ice picks Forged steel, classic positve curve Laser cut, stainless steel, classic positive
Lengths Available 45 cm 52, 59, 66 cm 55 cm 50 cm 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 90 cm
Included Pommel or Leash? Pommel Lower Rubber Grip Pommel No No
Hammer Option Yes No Yes No No
Shaft Design Bent Bent Bent Straight Straight

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Petzl Gully is a unique model that blurs the lines between an ultralight ice axe and an ice tool. What this model might lack in versatility, it certainly makes up in its very focused design. The Gully is an alpine steep snow and moderate ice specialist that works well as a pair, as a second tool coupled with a traditional mountain axe, or a single for challenging ski mountaineering routes or steep snow-covered approaches to alpine rock climbs.

Performance Comparison


petzl gully - the gully is a unique model that blurs the lines between an...
The Gully is a unique model that blurs the lines between an ultralight ice axe and an ice tool. It (like the newest version of the Sum'tec) was born from the late super alpinist Ueli Steck's desire for an incredibly light axe without any sacrifices made to pick performance.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Self-Arresting


The Gully's pick and overall design is geared towards steeper ice and snow climbing and isn't nearly as smooth to self-arrest as some of the top performers. You can self-arrest with it, but it isn't top-notch; the reason is this model's slightly reversed curved pick, which self-arrests okay when conditions are softer but is unquestionably choppy when conditions are firmer. This is a fundamental difference of this model versus the Ride, which features an identical shaft. This model has more steep climbing in mind, whereas the Petzl Ride is geared toward self-arresting.

Digging & Step Chopping


The Gully is available with a hammer or a small adze. During our testing, our review staff pounded several snow pickets, and over a dozen pitons; this revealed zero signs of wear, but it is not as burly of an axe as some. We will keep you in the loop as we continue to test this model, but at this point, we have only broken two Black Diamond Raven adzes over years of testing.

Like most other ultralight models, its adze is undersized and isn't something you'd want to use to dig out an icy tent platform. While it's far better than nothing, and is bigger, better shaped, and more aggressive than some models, its small size just means it will take longer to achieve most of these tasks. Compared to its closest competitors, it will certainly perform better than the CAMP Corsa or CAMP Corsa Nanotech, which is identical to the Petzl Ride but won't perform as well as the much heavier Black Diamond Venom or Petzl Sum'tec.

petzl gully - at just under 10 ounces, the gully is one of the lighter models in...
At just under 10 ounces, the Gully is one of the lighter models in our review and hands-down the best steep snow performer for its weight. In fact, there are only three lighter models in our review, two of which have aluminum heads. Because the Gully is so lightweight and capable, it's also a perfect option for ski mountaineering and alpine rock climbing.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Use As An Improvised Anchor


The Gully, despite its very technical appearance, is a CEN-B rated tool with both its pick and its shaft being UIAA type 1 rated. This means it is appropriate to use as an improvised anchor for crevasse rescue or to belay a climber ascending steep snow. It doesn't plunge well into snow vertically both because of its plugged shaft instead of a true spike as well as the curved shape of the shaft itself. While small, we did find it essential to move the pommel up towards the shaft when attempting to plunge the Gully in vertically. The holes on the head of this model nicely facilitate both carabiners or slings to incorporate it into a snow anchor as a backup or a secondary piece.

Steep Ice and Snow


The Gully is built for steep snow routes and moderate water ice. It might make some sacrifices as a general mountaineering axe, but it doesn't cut any corners when it comes to its steep climbing performance. The Gully's pick tapers down to 3mm, the same width as Petzl's ice climbing picks and it shows with outstanding overall performance.

The only difference between the Gully's pick and Petzl's more traditional ice tool's picks is the Gully's pick isn't quite as aggressive, which helps it perform better on more moderate snow and ice routes (which it's designed for) but not quite as good for more difficult ones.

petzl gully - the foundation of the gully's performance lies in its pick, which...
The foundation of the Gully's performance lies in its pick, which proved equally adept at climbing steep snow as it did moderate water ice. No other model that is as lightweight offers such good steep snow performance.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

The shaft of the Gully is identical to that of the Petzl Ride and offers enough but not exceptional clearance. The curved shaft and aggressive pick allowed most climbers to ascend WI3 pretty easily. WI4 is okay (where the clearance started to become an issue), and WI5 was possible if you're a very confident ice climber. All the weight is focused in the head of the axe, giving the Gully a little more heft, and helping it penetrate firmer conditions better than its sub-10-ounce weight might lead you to believe.

petzl gully - the gully comes equipped with an adjustable slider pommel which...
The Gully comes equipped with an adjustable slider pommel which Petzl calls their Trigest. It can be positioned anywhere along the shaft and provides a tremendous amount of support for the user's hand in a variety of positions. We also appreciated how secure it was; it never slipped unexpectedly, and it didn't require any tools to adjust.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

All of our testers loved this model's adjustable slider pommel (which Petzl calls their Trigrest) that can be set anywhere along the shaft based on the required task at hand. When swinging overhead like a traditional ice tool (piolet traxion) with the slider pommel set at the bottom of the shaft, it provided nearly as much support as most modern ice tool's fixed handles. A pleasant surprise noted by several of our testers was how much they liked the pommel when positioned just below the pick, for use in mid-dagger/piolet appui position while ascending long sections of snow or ice from 40-55 degrees.

petzl gully - while we certainly used the adjustable slidder pommel at the base of...
While we certainly used the adjustable slidder pommel at the base of the shaft to increase our grip while swinging the tool overhead, we also appreciated using it at mid-shaft on snow climbing routes in the 40-55 degree range. Worth noting we found ourselves swinging this tool overhead more often than other models in the same terrain simply because it was easier to get good purchase with such a light ice axe.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Comfort to Carry


Like many more aggressive tools, particularly European-designed and manufactured ones, the Gully is more comfortable to carry in the self-belay/Piolet Canne position (pick forward). In this position, the whole head is tapered toward the pick for a more ergonomic and comfortable shape when the palm is over the adze or hammer and the index finger and thumb around the pick. There also aren't any teeth on the pick; just smooth metal where you thumb and index finger come around.

petzl gully
Credit: Ian Nicholson

This model also isn't bad in self-arrest position and on the more comfortable side of more aggressive models to be carried in the pick backward position. Petzl didn't put any teeth for the first two inches of the pick from where it leaves the shaft; this leaves enough clearance for at least three fingers to wrap around with the user's index finger and thumb sitting in a nice depression below the adze or hammer. This model is still more comfortable in the pick-forward position and was more comfortable to carry than the CAMP Corsa Nanotech.

Weight


At 9.8 oz/280g, the Gully is among the lightest models in our review, and by far the lightest one we'd consider taking on a route with any sustained steep climbing. It climbs as well as the Black Diamond Venom, which at 18 oz/514g, is nearly double the weight. For a lot of steep snow and moderate alpine ice routes, the Gully provides more than enough performance, and for a lot of folks is, in reality, a better option.

petzl gully
Credit: Ian Nicholson

The biggest thing going against the Gully - and a big consideration for most people - is its lack of versatility, as the Venom offers a fair amount more versatility; however, the Gully is better for specific types of routes and is tough to beat.

The Gully is a technical tool with a low weight and a short shaft. At 45cm, it's shorter than most traditional ice tools, but there isn't much of a performance compromise for the types of routes and applications it's designed for. Its lightweight hammer and smaller than average adze are still functional enough, though maybe aren't quite as durable in the long haul. If you know you're going to be pounding TONS or pickets into firm snow, we'd suggest looking elsewhere.

petzl gully - like many aggressive ice axes, the gully is more comfortable to...
Like many aggressive ice axes, the Gully is more comfortable to carry in self-belay position (pick-forward, shown here) than in self-arrest/pick-backward position.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Value


The Gully is awesome for what Petzl designed it for but is hardly a quiver-of-one type design. This means the Gully won't be the only ice axe you own; instead, it will perform well as a second tool and should be coupled with a more traditional ice axe for moderately steep snow climbs or as a pair for steeper routes. They aren't cheap and fall on the most expensive side of the spectrum.

petzl gully - no other model packs in this much climbing performance for the...
No other model packs in this much climbing performance for the weight, whether it's steep snow or moderate ice route (where its climbing prowess will be most appreciated). It's also great for mountaineering or alpine rock climbing (where its compact length and impressively low weight make it the ideal axe to carry on, or in, your pack.)
Credit: Ian Nicholson

With that said, it presents a decent value because it performs exceptionally well for its intended purpose. Compared to its most direct competition (which is challenging because it doesn't have any true direct competition), like the Camp Corsa Nanotech, the weights are not too far off from each other, and the Gully is more versatile and climbs steep snow and ice routes better.

petzl gully - the gully is a rad option for the right type of objectives.
The Gully is a rad option for the right type of objectives.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Conclusion


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.

petzl gully - you can see the curved shaft of the gully (right). it features an...
You can see the curved shaft of the Gully (right). It features an identical shaft to the Petzl Ride (left), with the primary difference between these models being their pick/head/adze design.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Ian Nicholson