Who we are

Mandy Latchford

Born and bred in Ireland, Mandy first discovered the mountains in the Canadian Rockies in a year out between school and university.  Taken in by this new world, she went on to study sports, leisure and Tourism at Edinburgh University.  The degree included “countryside studies and the mountains” and Mandy had the chance to do an Erasmus exchange year in Pau, France.  Discovering the Pyrenees was a revelation for her!  While she travelled  widely following her studies to various “mountainous places”, the Pyrenees always seemed to pull her back!

Over the years, Mandy has worked in many different domains.   She has run a mountain refuge,  taught hockey, worked in an Irish bar (!), and since 2003 she has been qualified as an international mountain leader, or “accompaganteur en moyenne montagne”, and this is now her profession.  Well known for her calm and reassuring presence in the mountains Mandy encourages everyone into their best efforts.  She and Sacha and live in the Val d’Azun (20 mins from Luz) with Milan, Thibault and Anouchka.

Contact Mandy & Sacha: mandy@pyrenees-mountains.com

Sacha Romanoff

French-African-Russian, born in the Basque country, educated in Norway, Sacha came back to France to study archaeology, history of art and philosophy at the University of  Toulouse… not far from “Les Pyrénées” where he has always kept a foot!  Since then he has travelled widely, walking to the North Cape, sailing across the Atlantic, working on humanitarian missions in Africa, and expeditions in the Great North including crossing Siberia with sled dogs from the Baikal lake to Moscow… Today, his life is with Mandy and the children in the Pyrenees, even if he remains involved in nature films with the French explorer and director Nicolas Vanier.  Last year this took him to Siberia, and this year to Alaska.  But as ever, the Pyrenees, ”home sweet home”, “rich and rare land” always call him back!

Jonathan Carruthers-Jones

Spending all his childhood summers in north Wales the mountains caught him early. Studying at Edinburgh University was a natural choice as it took Jonathan closer to the great Scottish wilderness.  Many an epic was had exploring the Highlands and enjoying its bothies, especially in winter.

Tempted by the promise of a better climate and a new mountain playground Jonathan and his wife moved out to the Pyrenees in 2004.

Jon is a full member of the International Union of Mountain Leaders and the French Union of “Accompagnateurs en Moyenne Montagne”.
Visit the British Association of International Mountain Leaders for more info – BAIML

In addition to leading groups in summer and winter in the Pyrenees Jon is also widening his already substantial knowledge by studying for an MSc in Sustainable Mountain Development. This involves visits to the Centre for Mountain Studies in Scotland – CMS.

Contact Jon: jonathan@pyrenees-mountains.com

Sian Grigg

Before running a hotel in Luz St Sauveur Sian has had a few other professional incarnations.  After working for an Australian PC manufacturer in the early 1990s she had a stint in NZ selling barcode scanners and equipment before being back in Australia working for a large Australian industrial.  Completing the first two years of an environmental science degree part time, she completed the third year, and Honours, full time, graduating in 1999.  In 2000 she began a PhD (climate science), finishing in 2005.

A sabbatical year spent in Gèdre in Laurent’s parents holiday house in 2001 was her first introduction to the mountains.  Sian and Laurent then moved permanently to France with their children and bought Hotel Les Templiers in 2003. 

Contact Sian & Laurent: +33 5 6292 8152, Hotel Les Templiers, 6 Place de la Comporte, 65120 LUZ ST SAUVEUR; sian@pyrenees-mountains.com.

Laurent Grandsimon

Laurent is the only real “local”, or “Toy” as they like to call themselves.  His mother’s grandparents and great grandparents ran a bar/restaurant in what is today the Hotel Les Templiers.  His great grandparents built “Les Remparts”, then a hotel and now apartments and rooms (where you may well also stay) just on the other side of the church.

Laurent spent his first six years in Gèdre and the next six in Arcizans-Avant (just above Argeles-Gazost) before high school in Tarbes and Auch and university, where he did six years of finance, in Toulouse.  After university he worked for Hachette, a French multi-national before being sent to the French embassy in Australia for his military service.  So began his Australian adventures.  Once military service was completed he worked for an Australian PC manufacturer, then Gateway computers, then IBM.

Now that he is back in France Laurent does some teaching at the engineering university in Tarbes (ENIT), has just begun a small foray into organic farming, maintains a politics blog and jointly runs the hotel.