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Who we are
A little history
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Before the 18th century, shepherds, hunters and crystal-makers began to make use of the mountains. They used traditional techniques to get around and work on more or less rugged terrain. Their methods laid the foundations for modern mountaineering.
In the 18th century, mountaineering emerged, and in the 19th century, pioneers such as Edward Whymper made history, notably with his first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. This period also saw technical innovations such as hemp ropes, ice axes and crampons.
Innovations were not limited to equipment. This period also saw advances in climbing and safety techniques. Accounts of climbs, published in magazines and books, helped to spread knowledge and inspire new generations of mountaineers.
Today
Digital tools like Whympr are part of this line of innovation, making it easier to prepare mountain outings. Our application enables mountain and outdoor sports enthusiasts to plan their itineraries, access detailed maps and share their experiences.
Whympr doesn't just facilitate navigation and the sharing of experiences: it also conveys profound values, which we want to take to the summits! Love of the mountains, respect for the environment, safety and the pleasure of pushing one's own limits are central aspects of our mission.
Byenablingusers to live their passion to the full while minimizing environmental impacts and promoting responsible practice, these tools help preserve the natural beauty of mountain areas for future generations.
Whympr embodies technological evolution at the service of mountain adventure, integrating planning and sharing tools with a committed community.
The creation of Whympr
Edward Whymper
When Tim MacLean and Xavier Bougouin imagined Whympr at the foot of Mont-Blanc, the shadow of the ascents of Edward Whymper, one of the pioneers of alpinism (first ascent of the Matterhorn at the age of 25 in 1865), was not far away.
Originally from Chamonix, Tim MacLean and Xavier Bougouin, the founders of Whympr, are both descendants of the Devouassoud family (six generations of guides and bellmen).
Tim and Xavier created Whympr in 2017 in Chamonix, in the heart of the Alps, in the cradle of mountaineering.
Find all Whympr features: https://get.whympr.com/fonctionnalites
However, we couldn't find a mobile app that met our preparation needs. One had maps, another the weather, this one routes, and this one avalanche bulletins. Not very practical! As there was nothing on the market, we decided to invent it!
We grew up understanding the vital importance of taking care of the mountains. With a deep admiration for alpine tradition and a desire to make the mountain experience safer and more accessible for all, we set out on the adventure of creating Whympr.
Our goal was simple: to offer a practical and reliable solution to help outdoor enthusiasts like us, better prepare and share their mountain outings."
Tim MacLean
Co-founder of Whympr and CEO of the Pahada Group.
L'histoire d'Iphigénie
Créée en 2010 par Max Barel, un développeur indépendant passionné de cartographie, Iphigénie s’est fait connaître grâce au bouche-à-oreille. Avec plus d’un million de visiteurs uniques par an, c’est devenu en 10 ans, l’application cartographique de référence en France.
L’appli mobile est née d’un développement mené étroitement avec l’Institut national de l’information géographique et forestière (appelé IGN, Institut géographique national jusqu’en 2012, avant l’intégration de l’inventaire des forêts). Cet établissement public a pour mission d’assurer la production, l’entretien et la diffusion de l’information géographique de référence en France.
Iphigénie est totalement indépendante d’IGN et offre aux passionnés de randonnée, VTT, ski de randonnée, trails et d’une manière général tous les sports outdoor, un service de cartographie avec une analyse topographique très précise ainsi qu’une aide à la navigation grâce à son GPS intégré.
La première version a été publiée en avril 2010. C’était le début des smartphones. Max Barel, féru de cartographie et d’activités en plein air (notamment de randonnée et d’équitation), eut l’ambition de numériser les cartes papier en cartes digitales, dans une seule application. Cela pour les avoir toujours à portée de main, dans son iPhone. La version Android arriva en 2013.
L’application a été primée plusieurs fois aux concours API Géoportail et demeure aujourd’hui l’une des applications de référence pour l’accès aux ressources Géoportail.
En 2021, Max Barel arrive en fin de carrière. Il a envie de revendre Iphigénie. Mais pas à n’importe qui. Il souhaite que son entreprise familiale garde ses valeurs et son équipe. Il aimerait aussi qu’elle soit reprise par quelqu’un de local, passionné de montagne et d’activités outdoor. C’est ainsi que Max Barel rencontre Tim MacLean, co-fondateur de Whympr.
Max Barel, fondateur d’Iphigénie, se confie : « Je suis soulagé de transmettre notre outil à une société française avec qui nous partageons les mêmes valeurs. C’est essentiel pour nous, de savoir que notre ADN sera préservé tout en continuant à développer nos services. C’est aussi très important pour mon équipe de savoir que nous allons participer à cette transmission durant les mois à venir, avec Antoine et Clément qui restent dans l’aventure pour emmener Iphigénie toujours plus haut et partager ensemble la vision du nouvel élan d’Iphigénie ».
Retrouvez tous les tutos vidéo pour bien prendre en main Iphigénie ici.
The Pahada Group
Since January 2022, the holding company Pahada (which means mountain in Nepalese) has grouped together the two applications Whympr and Iphigénie.
Whympr
It's the app that brings together all the essential information you need to prepare and share your mountain and outdoor outings. It was born in 2017 at the foot of Mont Blanc on the initiative of two Chamoniards with a passion for the mountains.tout-en-un pour préparer tes sorties outdoor où que tu sois dans le monde. Elle est née en 2017 au pied du Mont-Blanc à l’initiative de deux Chamoniards passionnés de montagne.
Iphigénie
It's the benchmark mapping application in France, acclaimed by millions of users. Launched in 2010 by a cartography enthusiast, it is now an indispensable digital tool for hikers and professionals (foresters, guides, geologists, firefighters...).la carte IGN, même sans réseau. Iphigénie est plébiscitée par des millions d'utilisateurs. Lancée en 2010, elle est aujourd’hui l'outil indispensable pour les randonneurs et les professionnels (forestiers, guides, géologues, pompiers...).
The merger of the two applications in January 2022 has created the new Pahada Group to pool development, communication and innovation capabilities, while ensuring that each application remains independent and complementary.
Thanks to this merger, the new team, made up of members of Whympr and Iphigénie, are working together towards constant improvements to ensure growth and meet the expectations of the community. We have in our DNA a love of the mountains, respect for the environment, the democratization of sporting activities and a desire to push back the boundaries through digital technology.
Pahada's mission is to become the world's leading outdoor applications group.
In May 2023, Editions Vamos, founded over 30 years ago by two mountain guide friends, joined the Pahada Group. The aim of this acquisition is to develop the publishing of paper topos and make their content available in digital version on the Whympr application, thanks to QR codes integrated into the books.
Today, there are over 1000 digital topos for sale on the Whympr app. We want to digitalize all the topos in the books. Each format has its own purpose. We're firmly convinced that digital and paper must work together to become complementary.
Whympr's aim is to become the benchmark digital platform for preparing mountain outings, with topos as one of its cornerstones. The aim is to offer our respective customers an even more complete solution that will meet their requirements in the field.
Our values
Mountain love
We're passionate about the mountains and everything they have to offer. Every outing is an opportunity to explore and appreciate this unique environment. Based in Chamonix, we are at the forefront of observing the impact of climate change on Mont-Blanc and the surrounding area. This love of the mountains is reflected in our commitment to creating tools that make every mountain outing more accessible.
Taking practice to the next level with digital technology
We encourage our teams and users to adopt sustainable practices, such as respecting trails, reducing waste, and protecting local wildlife and plant life. We strive to minimize our carbon footprint as a company. We also donate 1% of our revenue through the “1% for the Planet” program.
Démocratisation de la pratique sportive
We aspire to make the mountains accessible to as many people as possible, rather than just a privileged few. Regardless of their level of experience or financial means, we want to open up the world of outdoor activities to everyone. Our apps are designed to be intuitive, making it easier to plan and prepare outings.
Our team
Around Tim and Xavier, a team of 30 people work within the Pahada group as employees or external contributors. A big thank you to all of them for their daily work. Our headquarters and offices are based in Chamonix.
However, the team is flexible and can work from wherever they choose.
We have team members in Grenoble, Chambéry, Lyon, Bordeaux, Biarritz, Paris, Copenhagen, Bucharest, Barcelona, and even Tokyo!
Tim worked between Paris and London for 10 years, mainly within Apple’s European teams. Highly motivated by the Whympr project and the opportunity to develop it, he left Apple to focus fully on Whympr and set up his base camp in Chamonix.
Xavier is an expert in digital design and marketing. Based in Copenhagen, he is currently responsible for the design of Whympr and Iphigénie, in addition to his other professional collaborations.