 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In today's Telegraph Travel section, Peter Hardy's article is about his favourite off-piste runs and one of them is Delirium Dive. He says it's medium to severe and "Once past the tricky entry jump, off a cornice, it opens into an enjoyable wide chute that expands into a bowl. You should not attempt this without prevoius couloir experience".
He also says the European guiding concept doesn't exist here and the area is only open when the ski patrol deems it safe.
Sounds fun. Let us know what it's like 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I haven't done it, and never will. I believe that depending on snow conditions there may be more than one way in, some less awkward than the cornice jump.
You probably know that you must ski it with a companion and have probes and transceivers.
Good luck.
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Fiona, I went to Banff for New Year and spent several days at Sunshine. Didn't do the Dive I'm nowhere near a good enough skier. However it is inbounds and avalanche contolled so not sure you need a guide. I do believe however the Sunshine Ski School does something called a Delirium Dive Experience or something similar which includes the tranceivers, shovels, probes etc which you have to have. You enter through a gate which beeps if you have a tranceiver, without one you don't get in.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks everyone.
We know about the requirements for shovels, probe, transceiver etc.
We're planning to do it guided - the ski school do "Delerium Sundays"
http://www.skibanff.com/skischool/adult.html so I'll phone them up
and ask all my questions. It looks like they take you for a practice
run on the regular pistes to work out abilities etc. so I'm assuming
that they'll be sensible enough to let us know if they think we're
not good enough. The steps down (which claim to avoid the drop off)
are mentioned at http://www.skibanff.com/mountain/extreme.html
Assuming we don't wimp out after speaking to the ski school folks
I'll you know how we get on.
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Good luck. I've watched lots of people ski it and never seen a fall. I suspect that it may be talked up a bit by the ski company although our instructor at Sunshine won't let his son do it, and the lad is clearly a very competent skier (at it since he was knee high to an alpine grasshopper, fringes of Canadian team etc etc).
Good luck. I'd wear a helmet if I were you, BTW.
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A gang of 8 of us skied the Dive last spring. The conditions were perfect - the avalanche warnings were medium but we did it 4 times in one day.
Most of us were novices to this type of skiing, but apart form the initial entry it wasn't too tricky - but awesome fun!!
You do need all of the kit otherwise you cannot get through the gate.
Have fun!
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I took a wander down onto the ridge at the top of the bowl, didnt go in cos didnt have equipment, but have to say it didnt look that tough. (that said appearances can be deceptive...)
Although it is in bounds and only open when the avalanche risk is deemed low enough, things like sharp drops are not marked (although there might not be any - i dont know). my guess is the first time you do it you would want to be with someone who has done it before.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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David_M, welcome to
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Hmm, Fiona hasn't been back yet. Perhaps it was tougher than we thought.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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i did it two years ago feb when i was 15 and i wasn't a brilliant skier... i went down the steps and only had time for one run and all i can say is those steps are bloody slippy. Had a minor fall and was fine.... it's not awfully steep, just when i skied it, it was like an ice rink.
good luck to those who ski it in future 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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geraint4, welcome to s.
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If it's open that week (still closed I think) and if you see a chap in a horrible green jacket doing the sunday tour, say hello
There's some clips of the drop in on youtube and this one <http> seems to give a good idea of some of the terrain. 27 days, only 27 days...
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You know it makes sense.
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I've walked up to have a look at it twice in the past two weeks. It is still closed and to be honest it doesn't look anywhere near opening. I would expect that it won't open before Feb unless we get a lot more snow. I should be going to sunshine tomorrow so if I remember, and the visibility is good, I will hike up again and take a few pictures of the entrance.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Cunners, solarfish, thi is an old thread. Fiona, was going in Feb 06.
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Poster: A snowHead
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holidayloverxx, I know, but DD is still there, and at the moment it is closed. I took it from Cunners's comment that he was going this coming Feb and therefore might be interested in current conditions.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'd not heard of this before - gonna roadtrip across to Banff to give it a crack later in the season I think 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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solarfish, Aaah! gotcha.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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i'd say that if you can ski the shoulder comfortably and ski under goatseye express(if you don't care about ruining your skis) fine then you should be ok... i'd recommend going with an instructor or a friend who's skied it a few times because there are quite a few drops where you wouldn't expect them
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I watched some bloke jump into it and then proceed to cartwhell all the way down!
Be careful, that's akk I'd say.
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I'm presuming that it is the entrance that gives this run its name and its fame. If you go down the steps you haven't really done the dive, have you.
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I was at Sunshine yesterday, but when I was at the top the visibility was poor so I didn't bother hiking up to take some pictures of DD. However I can report that there has been some avalanche prevention work done on it and a couple of slides were deliberately triggered so no it looks even less skiable than it was. As I said before, I really can't see this run openning before February. It is still one of my goals for this year when it does open though I am not convinced I will jump in to it so maybe I still won't have *really* done the dive as per snowball's post. I will keep updating this thread with any news.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hope it opens later this season.
Whats the entrance to the run like from the bottom of the steps?
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BrightonSki, easy. Just now Delerium Dive may not be open till March. Even April. Was speaking to a couple of patrol guys today and even they seem doubtful. Worst season in quite a few years, was at an avalanche awareness evening the other night and numrous people have been killed this year. Yehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. It is snowing in Banff just now!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Rossfra8 wrote: |
| BrightonSki, easy. Just now Delerium Dive may not be open till March. Even April. Was speaking to a couple of patrol guys today and even they seem doubtful. Worst season in quite a few years, was at an avalanche awareness evening the other night and numrous people have been killed this year. Yehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. It is snowing in Banff just now! |
Oh dear, is that the worst season in years for snow cover,or for avalanche danger?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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BrightonSki, both.
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That may be my fault - usually when I go somewhere it's suddenly the worst for one or the other since records began, so it makes sense that when I finally decide to venture across the pond that it's both at once
I'll sacrifice a beer to Ullr tonight.
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You know it makes sense.
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Just returned from Banff and we had snow almost every day for 2 weeks at Sunshine Village, still no sign of Delirium opening though. They recon the snow pack is really unstable.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Well looks like its open now.. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Any updates on the Dive? Looking to have a crack at it next March ( 2014)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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AJQ, didn't do it while I was there a couple of years ago but the area was fenced off with a gated entrance, I think the gate has an electronic sensor and only lets you through if you have a transceiver. You're only allowed to ski it with a 'peeped up' partner AFAIK. I did ask about it and unless there's been a good dump it's not that nice. If there's been a good dump then the whole hill's a giant playground anyway.
Favorite areas were mainly on the Goat's Eye mountain, I was the fifth person into the 'south chutes' after a mahoosive dump, and there was good pockets of powder to be found in the trees under the teepee town lift/ the shoulder area four or five days after the snow.
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FAQ
