Whympr acquires Éditions VAMOS, a guidebook publisher.

As of May 31, 2023, it is official that Whympr and Éditions VAMOS, publisher of climbing, hiking, and ski touring guidebooks, will merge to continue publishing paper guides and to digitize the guides on the Whympr app.

Editions VAMOS: 30 Years of Work

Founded in 1992 in Chamonix by Dominique Potard and François Burnier, the Editions VAMOS – a publisher of climbing guidebooks – emerged from a shared passion between two friends and mountain guides. VAMOS published the first climbing/travel guides around the legendary cliffs of Thailand, then Spain, before focusing on climbing in the Chamonix Valley. They also produced hiking and off-piste guides for Val d'Isère, the Three Valleys, and Chamonix.

In both French and English, the 11 editions of "Mont-Blanc Climbing Guide: Chamonix Valley and Vallorcine" have enabled thousands of climbers from around the world to rope up at Gaillands, Barberine, the great routes of Brévent, or to attempt the bouldering problems of the Grands Montets.

Starting in 2008, Dominique Potard chose to focus on writing novels, while François continued the adventure alone, making VAMOS the reference for guides in the Mont-Blanc region. Clément Guillot, former marketing director of L'Équipe, a digital entrepreneur, mountain guide, and president of the CAF in Chamonix, will take over the management of VAMOS and continue the work accomplished over the past 30 years by François Burnier.

François Burnier states: "I am now happy to pass the baton! For over 30 years, the work accomplished has been enormous. We have contributed to the development of climbing while always putting a lot of energy into climbing new routes, creating equipment, providing the best information, and, above all, being very present in a distribution network that we even helped launch in Chamonix as well as throughout France in major mountain gear retailers. Each new edition involves a significant volume of work, and today I want to dedicate my energy to my family, climbing, and traveling! Gently handing over to Whympr with Clément in charge of taking over seems like a wonderful opportunity. For the past three years, my guides have already been available online on the Whympr app, so this is just a logical progression. Plus, I feel they can bring a great new dynamic! VAMOS is going to grow even more!"

What is the Topo Pro at Whympr?

The Topo Pro is a route description or climbing guide created by a professional and sold individually or as a pack in digital format, allowing access via smartphone at any time. The revenues generated from these sales are then distributed among the various authors and contributors, similar to how a traditional book distributor operates.

These digital guides are available directly within the app, thanks to collaborations with other renowned publishers such as JMEditions, Ekiprock, CQFD, and VTOPO. Whympr currently offers over 1,000 Topo Pros, primarily focused on climbing but also covering hiking, snowshoeing, ski touring, and mountaineering. Represented areas include the Mont Blanc region, the Arve Valley, the Verdon, the Calanques, and more regions like Belledonne coming soon.

Digital Sales, but the Core Remains Paper

This acquisition is not aimed at digitizing VAMOS's content and sidelining books. The sale of physical books will continue and develop. Several avenues for evolution are already underway, such as the creation of a new website: TOPO-VAMOS.COM and the introduction of new references.

Tim MacLean, president of Whympr, concludes:

“Whympr is immensely honored to continue working more closely with the world of topo publishing. Continuing the project of Éditions VAMOS is a challenge that is very dear to us, and we hope to live up to the work accomplished over so many years! Our goal is to expand this offering day by day. Today, there are over 1,000 digital topos available for sale on the app. One of the projects that excites us a lot is making digital topos available to customers who purchase books.

Indeed, we deeply believe that each format has its utility. We are convinced that digital and paper can complement each other. Our ambition is to partner with other publishers so that Whympr becomes the go-to digital platform for outdoor activity preparation, with topos as one of its cornerstones. The goal is not to compete with paper, but to work hand in hand with quality partners to provide our respective customers with an even more comprehensive solution that meets their demands in the field.”