Taking the ‘Dive’ at Sunshine Village
As I approach the gate, my eyes vaguely register the entry light change from red to green. Nearing the summit I feel a familiar mixture of nerves and excitement. My legs grow heavier, and my pulse quickens. Braving a look over the edge, I begin to wonder whether this really was such a grand idea…
Last Winter I was fortunate enough to spend the season in Banff, Canada. Delirium Dive is an extreme freeride zone at the local ski resort, Sunshine Village. In terms of annual snowfall, the season was slightly below average and it looked doubtful that the dive would actually be opened for public access. Fortunately, with some unexpected dumps later in the season, the area caught enough snow to be deemed ‘safe’. When I first saw the dive from the adjacent face of Goats Eye Mountain, I quickly dismissed the idea of taking it on. However, as the season progressed and the same old runs slowly lost their charm, a few of us started to grow restless. Eventually, our sense of ambition proved victorious. Working one evening, I received a text message saying, “Tomorrow morning lets rent some gear and take on the dive”. Never one to back down to a challenge, I tentatively accepted.
Trekking up to the Banff Springs Hotel, the following day I felt surprisingly optimistic. As a group of three, we rented our avi gear and jumped onto the bus. The lone skier in our group, Michael, had already experienced Delirium the day before, which provided a calming sense of, 'well, if he can do it, I’m sure I can.' Stepping through the safety gate, we were quickly approached by another Skier who asked if he could join us. A strict rule of riding in this area is to always travel in pairs. An idea that we readily accepted when we discovered that our new member was something of a veteran, with over 15 years delirium experience under his belt. The easiest point of access, if you can call it that, is to avoid the extreme entry steeps by trekking along the ridge, down a set of stairs to a less vertical area. This approach, was of course, something we were glad to discover. After ten minutes of rather sketchy traversing we made it to our chosen entry point and waited for the signal. Seeing the thumbs up, we dropped in…
Continued...
Quickly accelerating from a standstill to a complete blur, my senses become engulfed in a rush of reckless energy. My vision is taken up by a sea of white, and the only sound I hear is my board cutting its way through the snow. Just trying to stay focused on navigating a way down become’s the number one priority. Everything else is irrelevant. Flying through a final chute, I spotted the rest of the group up ahead. With a massive sigh of relief, and a huge rush of adrenaline, I race towards them, glad to still be in one piece. Stopping for a brief chat, fuelled by a shared sense of extreme stimulation, we carry on. The second half of the dive, after the steeps, proves to be a much gentler experience. Navigating our way down small drops, and through patches of exposed rock, the adrenaline begins to settle back down to a more familiar level. Finally winding down through the trees we find ourselves at the bottom. After a quick bite to eat, and various exaggerations of what we had just achieved, we head back up for another run.
Entering the dive is really the toughest part of the experience. The second time I entered, I chose to ignore the steps and dropped in through the ‘brie-x’ chute. A common point of entry for most newcomers looking to step it up. After edging my way through the first few feet, I pointed the nose and went for it. Not to stress a preference but I think the whole approach of walking down the stairs, and then tip-toeing across a narrow ridgeline to a slightly shallower area does nothing but heighten the sense of anxiety. There are a number of entry chutes along the ridgeline, each with their own levels of difficulty. As we discovered, Ski Patrol are always willing to provide more information and advice.
Delirium Dive is by far the most extreme terrain I have ever rode while still being in-bounds. To consider taking on the dive, you must be comfortable on double-black diamond runs and consider yourself of an ‘advanced’ ability. Every rider must also carry suitable avalanche gear and have their beacon turned on. The Dive really was an incredible experience, and proved to be an extremely memorable experience. My advice, ride in a large group and just focus on making your way down. The unavoidable dose of delirium will all come naturally.
