Could you tell us about your sporting background? Why did you choose para-handball?

I am a former rugby player and a top-level athlete. Following an accident at work, I lost some of my sight. Keen to continue playing sport, I became particularly interested in skiing, which I had already been doing. One thing led to another, and I went on to compete in the French and European championships, then at the Paralympic Games in Turin in 2006 and Vancouver in 2010, where I won France’s only gold medal alongside my partner, who is also my ski guide.

What motivated you to settle in Luz and get involved in the development of the ski resort?

My partner is from around here. In the Hautes-Pyrénées, there are lots of extraordinary places, ranging from high mountains to the mid-range. So I set up a business in Luz-Saint-Sauveur and bought a barn in Grust that I wanted to renovate. In this village, with a year-round population of 38, it’s difficult to form an election committee. So I was asked to stand, and I accepted. Everyone here is energetic and passionate about mountain sports. I’ve thrown myself into village life, but also into managing the Luz Ardiden ski resort, which is situated on communal land. We’re lucky to be in the Pays Toy region; we work in synergy with the other villages, so everyone pitches in.

Why did you decide to open a new snack bar in Luz Ardiden?

I’ve been lucky enough to travel round the world several times, visit lots of resorts and see for myself what’s going on elsewhere. To cater for guests who want a quick bite to eat, relieve the pressure on the Aulian restaurant and inject some new energy into the resort, we decided to set up a snack bar in the form of a ‘Snow Truck’. We opted for a compromise between the modernity of a shipping container and seamless integration into its surroundings, with wooden cladding and surrounded by several fir trees, each representing one of the local authorities that fund the ski resort. The food is as homemade as possible, the service is smoother, and people are delighted!

Portrait of a Mountain Dweller

Meeting with Clément Latapie guides you along the waterway

A native of the Hautes-Pyrénées, Clément has been passionate about fishing and the outdoors since he was a young boy. At the age of five, his grandfather took him for the first time to try his hand at toc fishing on a tributary of the Gave de Pau. From that moment on, fishing began to shape his life. After studying aquaculture and qualifying as a fishing instructor, he decided to devote all his time to his passion – spending his summers on the rivers and lakes of the Pyrenees and his winters on the waterways of Patagonia.

Clément now shares his knowledge, techniques and tips with you, whilst raising your awareness of the need to respect the aquatic environment. He offers fun activities, courses and bespoke fishing trips – whether toc fishing, lure fishing or fly fishing – in Luz-Saint-Sauveur, and between Lourdes and Gavarnie. His love for this discipline – which really comes into its own when practised in high-altitude lakes – led Clément to team up with another instructor-guide to found the École de pêche des Vallées des Gaves.

>> Check out his fly-fishing tutorial on our TikTok channel.

Discover fishing in the mountains

Meeting with Jean Cazaux A look at pastoralism

Jean Cazaux is the works manager at the Barège Valley Trade Union Commission and was kind enough to answer a few questions:

Could you tell us about the Barège Valley Trade Union Commission? When was it established and for what purpose?

The Syndical Commission is very old, having been established in 1839 by decree of King Louis Philippe to manage and develop the undivided communal lands of the municipalities in the former canton of Luz-Saint-Sauveur. These are lands owned in equal shares by all 15 of the current municipalities and situated above private land, i.e. in the high mountains at an altitude of around 1,400 metres and above. This covers an area of 40,000 hectares; it is the largest territory in France managed by a syndicate commission.

What are its various responsibilities? Are there several different areas of work?

We do indeed have several roles: the collective management of summer pastures and transhumance, the maintenance of tourist trails totalling around a hundred kilometres (tree pruning, mowing, etc.) and the management of the Pays Toy abattoir. There can be up to 16 or 17 staff members in the team.

At the start of summer, we see lots of herds in livestock lorries making their transhumance. Can you tell us how this works?

That’s right; we welcome both local herds, which can head up to the summer pastures at any time, and 160 farmers who arrive from 10 June onwards from various departments in Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The Trade Union Committee is there to register the animals and check their health certificates.

What advice do you have to ensure that encounters between walkers and herds go smoothly?

When you’re out hiking, you’ll almost always come across a pastoral area; this means you’re entering an area where animals are grazing freely. The shepherd only comes to check on them once or twice a week to tend to them. I advise you to keep your distance from the animals – and especially from the calves – as a mother animal may appear at any moment; to keep your dog firmly on a lead so as not to frighten the herds; and to make sure you close the gates properly behind you.

Jean Cazaux is a site manager at the Barège Valley Trade Union Commission.

Meeting with Cissou Leaving everything behind to start a new life

Anne-Cécile ‘Cissou’ has always been exploring the trails of the Pyrenees – a region she has fallen in love with – through her involvement with local organisations. Following the health crisis, she resigned from the Bordeaux-based bank where she had worked for 30 years, swapping her comfortable city life for a career in environmental education. To make a living from her passion – nature – she trained as a specialist activity leader and made her home in the Pays Toy.

Cissou set up the Eco’dels association with friends to carry out nature conservation initiatives through fun workshops on flora and fauna, and to raise awareness of respect for the mountains in an entertaining way: identifying animal tracks, spotting birds of prey, interpreting the landscape…

Eco’dels offers an annual programme of activities in the hills above Luz-Saint-Sauveur and at nearby points of interest (the Cirque de Troumouse, the Col des Tentes, the Plateau de Saugué, etc.).

Her little tip

Make sure you clear up your rubbish after your picnic, including organic waste, as this can be harmful to certain species such as marmots. For example, by eating the casing of a sausage, they ingest unhealthy fats, which are their only reserve for surviving the winter.

Meeting with Nicolas Berejny From the Vancouver Games to Luz Ardiden

Could you tell us about your sporting background? Why did you choose para-handball?
I am a former rugby player and a top-level athlete. Following an accident at work, I lost some of my sight. Keen to continue playing sport, I became particularly interested in skiing, which I had already been doing.
One thing led to another, and I went on to compete in the French and European championships, then at the Paralympic Games in Turin in 2006 and Vancouver in 2010, where I won France’s only gold medal alongside my partner, who is also my ski guide.
What motivated you to settle in Luz and get involved in the development of the ski resort?
My partner is from around here. In the Hautes-Pyrénées, there are lots of extraordinary places, ranging from high mountains to the mid-range. So I set up a business in Luz-Saint-Sauveur and bought a barn in Grust that I wanted to renovate. In this village, with a year-round population of 38, it’s difficult to form an election committee. So I was asked to stand, and I accepted. Everyone here is energetic and passionate about mountain sports.
I’ve thrown myself into village life, but also into managing the Luz Ardiden ski resort, which is situated on communal land. We’re lucky to be in the Pays Toy region; we work in synergy with the other villages, so everyone pitches in.
Why did you decide to open a new snack bar in Luz Ardiden?
I’ve been lucky enough to travel round the world several times, visit lots of resorts and see for myself what’s going on elsewhere. To cater for guests who want a quick bite to eat, relieve the pressure on the Aulian restaurant and inject some new energy into the resort, we decided to set up a snack bar in the form of a ‘Snow Truck’.
We opted for a compromise between the modernity of a shipping container and seamless integration into its surroundings, with wooden cladding and surrounded by several fir trees, each representing one of the local authorities that fund the ski resort. The food is as homemade as possible, the service is smoother, and people are delighted!

Julia Vernaton A deep dive into horse-drawn carriages

Julia and her sled dogs stand out…

She is a musher at just 32 years old. They look like wolves with their thick fur, slender muzzles and almond-shaped eyes.

>> Meet Julia and her mentor Frédéric to get a glimpse into the daily lives of their four-legged colleagues.

241118-PODCAST_APPELSAUVAGE_OK. Date de sortie : 2024.

Christel’s hiking trio Read the article

Christel is passionate about the mountains and nature. For over 30 years, she has been dedicated to helping visitors at the Luz-Saint-Sauveur Tourist Office by recommending walking routes and sharing interesting stories along the way…