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Seb Ramsay is relieved to narrowly miss out on a white-knuckle ride in the Three Valleys

It means the crack of bottom, our guide says sheepishly as he points up at a fearsome-looking slot in a cliff known as the Raie des Cul couloir. Of course it does. My smirk is short-lived as Stephane follows this up with the rather less amusing: You want to ski it?

Yes, we do, my ski buddy insists as I nod gamely while trying to convince myself that that the combined effects of foreshortening and perspective probably mean the line of snow hes suggesting isnt actually vertical and shoulder-width.

Val Thorens has always had a reputation as a serious skiers resort. For years it has been the lofty but rather ugly satellite on the outer reaches of The Three Valleys. Victim to the convenience of concrete and the wanton disregard for the environment that characterises 1970s ski resorts everywhere.

But Val Thorens had skiing so good and so high that nobody really cared. Plus, it was significantly cheaper than its neighbours swanky Meribel and millionaires-ville Courchevel. But that was then. Before Val Thorens came properly on the radar of investors who recognised that, with its snow-sure status and varied terrain, this particular mountain flower could bloom.

Val Thorens from above

The resulting transformation means that the resort now boasts two 5-star hotels, a couple of two Michelin-starred chefs and its very-own branch of the incredibly popular outdoor-drinking and table-dancing mecca Folie Douce. A bar that brings more than just a touch of Bacchanalian Ibiza to the Alps.

Val Tho, as its now known, has joined the jet set. The newest of its jewels is the five-star hotel The Koh-i-Noor. Perched on the side of the piste and strikingly elegant in its chrome and glass simplicity, Europes highest five-star hotel is graphic evidence that those behind the makeover arent messing about. Two Michelin-star Yoann Contes restaurant completes the package and, along with the neighbouring five-star Fitzroy Hotel and Restaurant Jean Sulpices two-star dining, attracts the type of Three-Valleys client who, at one time, would never venture much further south than the runs linking Courchevel and Meribel.

But while its lofty perch makes it Europes highest and certainly one of its most-snowsure resorts, the low pressure associated with 2,300m presents unusual practical challenges for fine dining.

Jean Sulpice has been winning the battle with the environment for 10 years. With water boiling at 10 degrees lower than at sea level, eggs take twice as long to boil and a humidity level of just 17 per cent causes other issues.

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Val Thorens: Spectacular skiing from the top to the bottom