Travel: Norway's greatest advantage be may fewer people to see you make a fool of yourself learning to ski

DO NOT drink and toboggan. I saw the warning sign too late. I'd had three pints. Lassoing the small plastic toboggan to the button lift, quickly jumping on it and then trying not to fall off as it was towed to the top of the piste, taxed my lubricated powers of concentration and co-ordination somewhat.

At the top, a gale blew the blizzard. Night had fallen and it was pitch dark. The only illumination came from the pitiful glare of my helmet torch and some off-piste markers.

I hopped on the toboggan, which was marginally larger than one of those pedal toys for toddlers, and slid off down the gentle slope. Pretty tame I thought.

Then I turned the corner and it was downhill from there. Rapidly. The next minute or so went past in a very bumpy blur. I had to cling on for dear life. Half-way down and I remembered the toboggan had brakes. I tried to apply them but by this time they barely made an impact.

Talking of impact, I saw the safety net coming towards me at a fairly high speed. I was going so fast I almost went over the top of it. Just as well my limbs were loosened by the beer. Disentangling myself from the net and toboggan was the work of a moment. I dashed back for four more runs.

Night tobogganing was one of many highlights of a skiing trip to Norway. The country is not the first that springs to mind for most skiers from Scotland. This is a shame. The country has a lot to offer.

I had always wanted to go to Norway. It was on my list of countries I hoped to visit but I wouldn't have predicted that when I did go, it would not be to see those spectacular fjords, but to ski.

The three-hour transfer from Oslo took me through some stunning scenery, all snow-covered alpine forests, craggy cliffs, frozen waterfalls and lakes, and handsome wooden houses. I was particularly struck by how buildings in New England, United States, look like Norwegian ones.

I stayed for a week at the Hemsedal resort, situated between the two largest cities in Norway, Oslo and Bergen. It is one of the biggest and most popular ski destinations in Scandinavia. The 'Scandinavian Alps' may not have the majesty of their southern cousin and there may not be the same energetic aprs ski (although it hots up here on Fridays and Saturdays) but skiing in Norway, particularly in Hemsedal, has two trump cards: it is relatively quiet and great for children.

Hemsedal has the largest children's ski area in the country. Grown-ups can forget about those annoying lengthy queues. My average wait at the lifts lasted around a minute. Once on the slopes, you will not need to be constantly avoiding other skiers and snowboarders either. There were usually enough just to keep me company.

One morning I got out of bed early so I could be on the slopes as the sun came up. My rather painful early morning rise was soon rewarded with having run after run almost entirely to myself. It was like having my own private ski resort. It was wonderfully refreshing swishing and swooshing down the snow-ploughed corrugated slopes (called corduroys by the Norwegians) with the bracing breeze and early morning sun in my face.

Later in the day, feeling rather energised, I tackled a snow park for the first time. I don't think I would have had the courage had I been in France or Switzerland; I would have been too intimidated by the trendy young snowboard types zooming around and doing triple back-flips with double pike and a half twist. But in Norway it was far more civilised and, of course, quiet, so I plucked up the courage and gave it a go.

After my early morning start and all that exercise I was looking forward to dinner following a refreshing pint in the hotel bar. Always one who is keen sample the local fare, I had no hesitation in plumping for a fillet of elk (it was quite similar to venison) washed down with a shot of aquavit, the caraway-flavoured firewater. Another culinary first was at breakfast the following day, when I had brown caramelised cheese (the Norwegians like to have it with crackers).

I enjoyed some wonderful meals at a selection of classy restaurants around the town including Kjkken Kroken and Skogstad Bistro. Be warned though; eating out and drinking at a Norwegian ski resort does not come cheap. A pint of beer alone cost me a wallet-vacuuming 7. Yes, 7. It was good beer though. You may also bump into Rebecca Loos of David Beckham notoriety. She lives in the town with her partner.

Then it was back to the hotel to rest the wearied limbs. I was staying at the Skarsnuten Apartments. My apartment, which had four bedrooms, came complete with its own sauna and a balcony that commanded an impressive vista over the valley. The main part of the hotel was typically Scandinavian – bright, modern and welcoming. It was also next to the slope so you could ski right up to it.

The next day I got to explore more of the resort's 48 slopes. I went to the Totten peak which, with an altitude of 1,450 metres, is the highest point for winter skiing in Norway. Hemsedal's high altitude ensures a long skiing season which stretches for November until May. The resort guarantees a minimum of 5km of slopes and 710m of vertical drop.

After dinner, I went back to the slopes for a touch of night skiing. It was the first time I had done it and I found it great fun. Being so far north, it does get darker a bit earlier in Norway in the depths of winter anyway. There are between five and seven hours of sunlight in December but the flip side is that there are 12 to 14 hours in April. It can also get very cold. The temperature dropped to a numbing -25C here this winter, unseasonably chilly even for hardy Norwegians. The average temperature for January is -7C.

I took a break from skiing the following afternoon to go Ski- Dooing. Zipping around the race course on one these pocket rockets was brilliant fun. They can certainly shift and could shame many sports cars for their acceleration (0-60mph in five seconds). After quite a few circuits, I followed one of the guides on a more sedate cross-country outing. I was paying so much attention to another member of my group managing to plough straight into a bank of snow that I managed to do the same.

Norway is what I expected – stunningly beautiful and run with a laid-back, friendly efficiency. For those prepared to plump for a slightly quirky ski destination, you will get a holiday with a bit of a difference. For me, some of Hemsedal's best points are what others may consider drawbacks.

It is on the expensive side, even for a skiing holiday, and there's not a thriving aprs ski scene. But these things make it quiet and civilised and a great space for a family holiday or just a skiing break to somewhere a bit more off the beaten piste.

Ski-Norway offers holidays to several Norwegian resorts from the UK:

• Seven nights at Skarsnuten Apartments cost from 624 per person, including self-catering accommodation, scheduled return flights from London, Manchester or Edinburgh to Oslo and shared return transfer to and from resort. Based on four sharing.

• Seven nights at Hemsedal Alpine Lodge cost from 897 per person, including self-catering accommodation, scheduled return flights from London, Manchester or Edinburgh to Oslo and shared return transfer to and from resort. Based on two sharing. Added extras can be prebooked through Ski-Norway, such as lift pass (176 for seven days, adult) and full ski rental pack (adult, standard, 98 for seven days). For further information, contact Ben at Ski-Norway on 0207 917 6044 or www.ski-norway.co.uk.

SAS (www.flysas.com) flies to Oslo from Edinburgh and London Heathrow from 79 one way.

• Snowmobiling at Lykkja, 20 minutes outside Hemsedal, 30 for 30 minutes (www.hemsedalsnoscooterutleie.no).

• Early Morning Skiing every Saturday, 7.30-9.30am.

• Useful websites: www.visitnorway.co.uk, www.hemsedal.com

This article was first published in Scotland On Sunday, 13 February, 2011