The preferred, common descent route for South Gully is via The Escape Hatch (just left of South Gully as viewed from the base of the climb). It is a great route to use when bailing from any of the climbs/Gullys on Huntington's south rim. With the relatively soft snow conditions it looks like you had that day, you probably could have easily plunge-stepped (crampons removed of course) your way back down the Escape Hatch to the floor of the ravine in no time without having to painstakingly and laboriously down-climb South Gully backwards. Worked well for us when we did it. It may be something to consider if you ever plan to do South again. Best wishes! ⛏
You got the adverb correct - painstakingly - but its probably my own lack of skill and comfort and age that caused it. But I'll keep that as a alternative next time.
@@lakeshoresports9551 At age 62, I can certainly relate to the lack of comfort aspect you mentioned with regard to being wise in choosing one's climb/descent route and method/s. On my very last climb (Diagonal Gully, late March 2019), we didn't descend the Escape Hatch since we had already planned to descend via the Lion's Head Winter Trail near Tuckerman. But I very clearly recall thinking, while marching upward toward the Fan that morning and looking up at The Escape Hatch to our left, "man, there's no way I'd wanna have to descend THAT in a hurry under these (hardpack) conditions"! 😨 Sadly, Just over a month prior to our ascent, 37 year old Massachussetts Research Scientist Dr. Jeremy Ullman, an experienced climber, slid to his death while still on the approach, soloing up The Fan towards Central Gully in much worse conditions - refrozen, hardpacked snow with an even harder surface crust of ice! He apparently lost his balance somewhere near the base of Central, right below the ice bulge, and depite his best efforts, simply could not self arrest on that glazed, ice-covered snow, sending him on an accellerating slide to the boulders below. Rescuers/authorities found well defined Ice Tool skid marks much of the way down, indicating his earnest yet vain efforts to arrest. It had rained then refroze within the week prior to his accident, creating surface climbing conditions that simply have zero tolerance for mistakes when unroped - on a fairly easy climb that would have otherwise been, under normal circumstances, just another routine "walk in the park". Thanks for sharing your cool climbing trip vid with us. All the best, and stay safe. ⛏
The preferred, common descent route for South Gully is via The Escape Hatch (just left of South Gully as viewed from the base of the climb). It is a great route to use when bailing from any of the climbs/Gullys on Huntington's south rim. With the relatively soft snow conditions it looks like you had that day, you probably could have easily plunge-stepped (crampons removed of course) your way back down the Escape Hatch to the floor of the ravine in no time without having to painstakingly and laboriously down-climb South Gully backwards. Worked well for us when we did it. It may be something to consider if you ever plan to do South again. Best wishes! ⛏
You got the adverb correct - painstakingly - but its probably my own lack of skill and comfort and age that caused it. But I'll keep that as a alternative next time.
@@lakeshoresports9551 At age 62, I can certainly relate to the lack of comfort aspect you mentioned with regard to being wise in choosing one's climb/descent route and method/s. On my very last climb (Diagonal Gully, late March 2019), we didn't descend the Escape Hatch since we had already planned to descend via the Lion's Head Winter Trail near Tuckerman. But I very clearly recall thinking, while marching upward toward the Fan that morning and looking up at The Escape Hatch to our left, "man, there's no way I'd wanna have to descend THAT in a hurry under these (hardpack) conditions"! 😨
Sadly, Just over a month prior to our ascent, 37 year old Massachussetts Research Scientist Dr. Jeremy Ullman, an experienced climber, slid to his death while still on the approach, soloing up The Fan towards Central Gully in much worse conditions - refrozen, hardpacked snow with an even harder surface crust of ice! He apparently lost his balance somewhere near the base of Central, right below the ice bulge, and depite his best efforts, simply could not self arrest on that glazed, ice-covered snow, sending him on an accellerating slide to the boulders below. Rescuers/authorities found well defined Ice Tool skid marks much of the way down, indicating his earnest yet vain efforts to arrest. It had rained then refroze within the week prior to his accident, creating surface climbing conditions that simply have zero tolerance for mistakes when unroped - on a fairly easy climb that would have otherwise been, under normal circumstances, just another routine "walk in the park".
Thanks for sharing your cool climbing trip vid with us. All the best, and stay safe. ⛏