Hully Gully (12) - Just Hiking

Statistics

Date - 02/15/2025
Elevation - 7,200'
Route - Hully Gully
Miles - 1.0
Elevation Gain - 500'
ACME Mapper - Link
CalTopo - Link
Partners - Kennedy Just, Nick Quesnel

Description

With severe weather forecasted for the mountains, I didn't want to contend with terrible traffic on I-70, so Kennedy and I opted to head south to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and check out Hully Gully. Nick reached out, had never been there, and expressed interest, so he joined us for the morning climbing in a new area to both Kennedy and Nick.

We arrived at the base of the second pitch of the gully just as another party was finishing the first pitch. They indicated they were just climbing the second pitch and heading out, so we let them continue. Their second pitch was a bit of a struggle for them and we ended up waiting for some time. In the mean time, Nick led a mixed route in the area as we waited called Glacier Pons (M4), and Kennedy took a turn on top rope. When the other party finally finished, we moved over to the ice.

Nick offered me the lead since I didn't lead anything the prior weekend in Vail, Colorado. I can't believe it had been six year since I had climbed at Hully Gully, but I'm pretty sure there were four or five years in that time period when the climb never came in. Anyway, I was able to lead the pitch and set up a top rope anchor on bolts to the right that were new since I had been there.

Next Kennedy got her turn on some fairly sustained and long WI3+ before coming down and giving Nick a turn at leading. I ran another quick lap on top rope before we decided to call it a day as weather was moving in. Nick led the pitch out placing a whole three ice screws and brought Kennedy and I up before we hiked back up and out to the Old Stage Road. We had lunch and a beer at Ivywild School in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Photo