# Delirium Dive - The Lines



## Zee (Feb 21, 2008)

This is cool.

http://www.skibanff.com/media/images/skiing-delirium.jpg


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

That cirque just looks fun.


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## Guest (Dec 16, 2008)

:thumbsup: Delirium is amazing. I love Banff.


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## Guest (Dec 17, 2008)

ill be there in Feb- but looks a little steep for me lol


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## Grimdog (Oct 13, 2007)

Beacons and avalanche gear are required on Delirium Dive.


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

Anyone Know Of A Good Shovel And Prob Store In Vancouver?

And Any Other Highly Recommended Sideways Spots In Banff (and Local Areas)?

Cheers, Big Up Yerself And Maybe Get A Beer If You Come Along Too....?


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## Grimdog (Oct 13, 2007)

When are you heading to Banff?


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

mid march for one brief week only


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## Grimdog (Oct 13, 2007)

Let me know if you are interested in having someone tag along for a day. Before you say OK I must warn you that i do ride FLOW bindings.


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## SB4L (Jan 12, 2009)

scottik187 said:


> ill be there in Feb- but looks a little steep for me lol


Sorry to burst everyone's bubble (I am really hoping to ride the Dive this year too), but the chances of it opening are looking bleak at best right now.

The stability has been horrible all year, due to long deep freezes and massive wind events. Not only that, all avalanche control using bombs has produced results that stripped it to the ground. Right now there is not one rideable line in the dive. 

So heads up before you go planning any trips in the dive and buying / renting avie gear, make sure you check their website or even PM me cause I work at SSV and can find out the long term prospects from talking to patrol. If you do rent, hit up mountain magic in Banff, they rent the whole kit for $15-20 a day.


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## Zee (Feb 21, 2008)

Not suprising considering the generally crappy snow patterns this year.


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## SB4L (Jan 12, 2009)

Yep, but here's hoping for an epic March like they're predicting. It's already starting in the form of 15-20 for SSV by this tues.... Can't wait for some mid-week pow days.


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## SB4L (Jan 12, 2009)

Delerium update: Patrol was in there ski-cutting, avie testing, and actually ripping some lines this past week after our 46cm dump! Great to see, though It's gonna take A LOT more snow where that came from. I took a few pics will have to post them soon.


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

SB4L said:


> I took a few pics will have to post them soon.


do it then me old mukka! i leave for couver this weekend, and will be packing my Pieps!

i am still scoping out good shovel and probe stores, but in the meantime; _"...let it snow let it snow let it snow...."_


fingers crossed til they snap!


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## SB4L (Jan 12, 2009)

Well I get to work today and find out that Delerium Dive opened up officially yesterday at 4:00 pm, so obviously just for a few select people & patrol at the end of the day, to get it ready for today (Saturday). Of course I left my avie gear at home, d'oh! Hoping this could last for a bit for it to see a few good powder days, as right now they are claiming "early season" conditions, with rocks poking through etc. It looks pretty dismal at the moment, there is really only the main line that is possible (delerium 'proper'), as most of the glarier chute-drop-ins further down the ridge are still very rocky. There is avie debris all over as well from previous avalanches, both control work and natural.

Let me know if anyone here gets out there this weekend, it will be wednesday before I have a chance.

edit: link to ssv press release


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## Zee (Feb 21, 2008)

Awesome! I'm there next weekend then!


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## tozab (Mar 8, 2009)

Number 3 looks pretty nuts.


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## SB4L (Jan 12, 2009)

Well, I just got back after boarding the Dive for my first time this season, and ever for that matter, and it was awesome. So stoked. I hope we get lots more snow to cover up the few lingering sharks in the snow, but overall it was much better than I was expecting. The size 3 avalanche that ripped through over a week ago is damn impressive to see up close, you come up to this sudden drop thinking it's a cliff, then realize it is the crown where the avalanche started. 2m crown, and there is lots of debris still underneath the small amounts of new snow, but I still had some of the best turns so far this year!!!

In case anyone else is a first-timer like I was - it's pretty easy to pair up if you don't have a partner (I didn't). I wasn't even sure if I'd bother today - mixed light with some sun poking through and was worried about rocks, but if you are careful and don't just charge it that isn't a problem. I did take a few pics and will post them tonight, for real this time as I still haven't posted the ones from a while back haha sorry.


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

damnit! so it opened the week after i left?

still, they were bombing Goat's Eye and consequently I managed to get the first few lines on that aspect right after it opened.... twas worth the trip in itself

I will have to leave Delirium for the next time


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## SB4L (Jan 12, 2009)

Here is a few pics from yesterday.


Looking down the 'delerium proper'line from about 150m down the top.


The two skiers in the red are standing on top of the 2M crown from the avalanche a week or so back. It was kind of fun to catch some air off the crown.


Looking back up after my run - still tons of fresh snow to be had, watch out for that avalanche debris though it gets a bit chunky... better than rocks though!


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## zenboarder (Mar 5, 2009)

I am up at SSV every weekend and I keep staring wistfully at the dive every time I go up the gondola. Sadly I don't think I quite yet have the board control for such terrain. I don't have issues carving on blacks but double blacks with random cliffs? I hope to get to the point where I can contemplate going in there but I don't really know how to judge if I am at an acceptable skill level...


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## SB4L (Jan 12, 2009)

zenboarder said:


> I am up at SSV every weekend and I keep staring wistfully at the dive every time I go up the gondola. Sadly I don't think I quite yet have the board control for such terrain. I don't have issues carving on blacks but double blacks with random cliffs? I hope to get to the point where I can contemplate going in there but I don't really know how to judge if I am at an acceptable skill level...


If you can ride say, the headwall on standish, and the south side chutes on goats eye on powder days without too much difficulty, it doesn't get a whole lot more technical than that if you stick to the main line (delerium proper). The initial drop-in can be intimidating as it's the steepest (40 degrees). There isn't really any 'random cliffs' , since they only allow access in good enough visibility, you can easily spot out all the cliffs before you come up to them, none are really mandatory - except the current 1-2m crown from a previous avalanche.


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## Zee (Feb 21, 2008)

Yes I'm reviving an old thread... hoping it opens earlier this year.

The entrance via Galaxy is sketch...

Galaxy Ridge in Delerium Dive on Vimeo


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## AdamBQ (Sep 15, 2009)

Woot for reviving this thread.

Heading there on for Wednesday, but definitely wanna try out the Dive later in the year when it opens.
If any locals know good areas at SSV, I'd love to know. I know marmot well, but didn't really enjoy SSV last time I went cus I didn't know the mountain and would love some tips.


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

I didnt have a beacon last year so the one day i managed to wrangle one I was heading up the Divide chair and when i got to the top the dive was closed. Turns out some guy busted his pelvis. Ouch! Maybe this season?

Anyone know anyone that has ridden Silver City? Looks more like a cliff than a run! If anything is triple black that has to be it! I hear if you fall in the wrong parts its pretty much certain death?


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## Zee (Feb 21, 2008)

Best No-Fall Zone: Silver City, Sunshine Village, Alberta | Skiing Magazine

I have no illusions of ever being able to do Silver City.










I have yet to meet anyone that has actually done it.


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## tozab (Mar 8, 2009)

That is HECTIC


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

15cms last night. Hopefully the Dive open earlier than last year.


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## Zee (Feb 21, 2008)

I talready looke like it has more snow than it had in January last year...


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

Yeah I was checking it out yesterday. So far its looking good.

I hit the backside of the Lake obn Saturday and it was sensational for November!


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## Snowjoe (Jul 3, 2007)

roremc said:


> I didnt have a beacon last year so the one day i managed to wrangle one I was heading up the Divide chair and when i got to the top the dive was closed. Turns out some guy busted his pelvis. Ouch! Maybe this season?
> 
> Anyone know anyone that has ridden Silver City? Looks more like a cliff than a run! If anything is triple black that has to be it! I hear if you fall in the wrong parts its pretty much certain death?


I've ridden alot with 2 instructors there, 3 years ago now who had both ridden Silver City. It's serious business, Makes the Dive and Wild West seem like a playground. Let me assure you those guys could ride, and ride hard. Yeah theres large parts of Silver City that are no fall zones, mandatory airs. Basically you don't get in there without patrol i'm pretty sure, and they need to know that your up to scratch otherwise your not going.


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## AdamBQ (Sep 15, 2009)

Dive just opened for this year.

Does anyone know if you can rent the mandatory avi gear, or owners only?


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## SB4L (Jan 12, 2009)

AdamBQ said:


> Dive just opened for this year.
> 
> Does anyone know if you can rent the mandatory avi gear, or owners only?


As of last winter when I worked at Sunshine, you couldn't rent gear on the hill, no. But in Banff & Canmore there are a few shops that rent, believe it is something like 20-30 a day? for shovel,beacon,probe. Not sure of the names of these shops but the one we went to is just across from the theatre in downtown banff. just ask around the locals are friendly.

And yeah I heard about the dive opening last week... last year it wasn't till april... and even then it was very rocky, so be VERY careful - bring your rock board of course. Their snowpack is apparently only 106cm, though it collects quite a bit more in the dive because it all blows off the windy face of lookout mtn.


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

I think Backtrax and Mountain Magic in Banff rent them. I would not rush in there though as it still looks pretty sketchy and if goats eye is any indication snow will be thin on the groun as SB4L said.


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## Zee (Feb 21, 2008)

I'll venture in there early January if the snow keeps coming... who's with me?


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## SB4L (Jan 12, 2009)

roremc said:


> I think Backtrax and Mountain Magic in Banff rent them. I would not rush in there though as it still looks pretty sketchy and if goats eye is any indication snow will be thin on the groun as SB4L said.



That's the one, mountain magic, we rented there. They even gave us the option of partial rental, my friend had his own shovel & probe just needed the beacon. You know what, I think the beacon itself was $15-20ish, might have been 40ish for the whole kit.

If you know anyone who works at SSV, ask them to get you a patroller discount on gear, got my whole kit for $290 for all top quality stuff. (Beacons usually go for at least $300-350 alone)


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## Zee (Feb 21, 2008)

Seasonal Bump! Let's hope it's open by January. I'm eying line #5, but a bit hesitant on the no-fall zone. Probbaly safer if there is tons of snow...


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