As I hurtle down the mountain with only a few stars lighting the path between clumps of trees and what feel like precipitous slopes, it occurs to me that being drunk in charge of a toboggan is not a good idea.

Co-ordinating the two stick brakes on either side of my 'steed' would not be easy sober; after a too liquid evening, I not only perfect the art of the handbrake turn à la toboggan, but also flip myself over more times than I can count. The good part is that when I do tumble out, I am so relaxed and the snow feels so soft that it doesn't seem to matter.

The couple of dozen people racing down in the dark and occasionally crunching into the side of my machine are having the same problems, which causes much hilarity as we snake in a wibble-wobble, topsy-turvy fashion down the slope.

It is not as dangerous or as stupid as it sounds; Skidoos round us up every few minutes to stop the foolhardy going too fast and to sort out any problems at the back (though I later hear of a previous reveller who crashed into the Skidoo and needed nine stitches). The trees are set back enough from the path for them not to be a problem and I'm sure the slope isn't as steep as it feels. In fact, by the time we reach the end of our 20-minute ride down the side of this French mountainside just outside the main ski resort of Courchevel 1850 in the Alps, the cold wind on our faces has had a sobering effect.

The toboggan ride is the culmination of an evening excursion run by Chardon Loisirs from Courchevel, which includes a typical Savoyard meal up the mountain.

It is an evening that starts with a slow ascent up the slope on the back of a piste machine once used by French explorer Paul-Emile Victor on his polar expeditions. As we set off, I realise why there was a rush for seats at the back; my position at the front is exposed to snow thrown up by the machine so that, though I am well wrapped up, the ride is very frosty. But it is beautiful as we chug along, sometimes hovering on the brink of a stall, the stars piercing holes in the dark mountain night.

By the time we reach the clearing in the forest and enter a hut-like building that opens up inside into a long, low stone arch of a room, the warmth of the open fire along with the notes of an accordion are bliss to the senses. We settle at a table which runs the length of this cheese cellar, where the dairy product was made and stored back in 1700. Naturally, cheese is on the menu, though it is served as a fondue typical of Savoy. The meal is simple but good; thick slabs of ham, salad and a baked apple to finish.

All of this is washed down with copious amounts of Savoy wine as well as Génépi, the local eau de vie that comes complete with sprigs of herbs. I down my glass again and again to French drinking songs which I almost get the hang of by the end of the evening. It's a stag-party, university-style evening when everyone becomes everyone else's friend but in another language, although there is a special rendition of 'Yellow Submarine' for my benefit. On evenings when there are English people who don't speak French, everyone mucks in with a few translated words, though, let's be honest, 'down in one' doesn't need much translation.

The next day on the slopes is a jour blanc, with the scenery whited out by low cloud and falling snow. Even wearing the latest ski goggles, it is hard to make out more than a few hazy shapes of fellow skiers on the slopes. In all this whiteness, I lose my sense of perspective and there are times when I don't know which way is up. It is a dizzy, drunken feeling but I adapt and, surprisingly, manage to keep my balance. Obviously, all that practice on my midnight toboggan run paid off.

Factfile

Jane Knight travelled to Courchevel with Scott Dunn (020 8682 5050), which has seven nights' half-board at the four-star Hotel Kilimandjaro for £1,995, including flights to Geneva on scheduled airlines and a private transfer. The Savoyard evening takes place weekly and costs ¿80 (£55), including food, wine and Génépi. Details and reservations from Chardon Loisirs (00 33 4 7908 3960).

Snow gear was supplied by Columbia (0191 537 5810).