Must have own spade!

I'm in Banff to do the closing keynote at the First International Conference of the new Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE) and to meet up with old friends from around the world.

And because I'm here a day early, and it's Banff, I get to go skiing (woo hoo!). Friends will know I am permanently lost on most pistes, just skiing where the boots seem to lead me. So I was a bit suprised - having inadvertently enjoyed as a first run the Olympic Downhill course (but rather slower than the stars!) - to find myself on the double black Delirium Dive - steep but not too steep.

But I wasn't allowed to ski it - the problem was the (doubtless sensible) local rules: I couldn't proceed without my own shovel, an avalanche beacon device and a partner. Yikes! rest of the wonderful Sunshine resort was heaven though and they have snow here until MAY!