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Who we are
To find out who's behind Whympr, let's take a trip back in time.
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.
Byenabling users 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.
The story of Iphigénie
Created in 2010 by Max Barel, a freelance developer with a passion for cartography, Iphigénie made its name through word-of-mouth. With over a million unique visitors a year, it has become France's leading mapping application in just 10 years.
The mobile app was developed in close collaboration with the Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière (known as IGN, Institut géographique national until 2012, before the integration of the forest inventory). This public institution is responsible for producing, maintaining and distributing reference geographic information in France.
Iphigénie is totally independent of IGN and offers hiking, mountain biking, ski touring, trail running and all outdoor sports enthusiasts a mapping service with highly accurate topographical analysis, as well as navigation assistance thanks to its integrated GPS.
The first version was released in April 2010. It was the beginning of smartphones. Max Barel, an avid cartographer and outdoor enthusiast (especially hikers and horseback riders), had the ambition of digitizing paper maps into digital maps, in a single application. So you could always have them to hand, on your iPhone. The Android version arrived in 2013.
The application has won several Géoportail API awards, and today remains one of the benchmark applications for accessing Géoportail resources.
In 2021, Max Barel reaches the end of his career. He wants to sell Iphigénie. But not to just anyone. He wants his family business to keep its values and its team. He'd also like it to be taken over by a local with a passion for the mountains and outdoor activities. This is how Max Barel met Tim MacLean, co-founder of Whympr.
Max Barel, founder of Iphigénie, confides: "I'm relieved to be handing over our tool to a French company with whom we share the same values. It's essential for us to know that our DNA will be preserved while we continue to develop our services. It's also very important for my team to know that we'll be taking part in this handover over the coming months, with Antoine and Clément remaining in the adventure to take Iphigénie ever higher, and to share together the vision of Iphigénie's new momentum".
Find all the video tutorials you need to get to grips with Iphigénie here.
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.
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...).
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
Innovations have always helped mountain sports to evolve, improving both safety and performance. We believe that digital technology represents the next step, enabling us to continue moving our practice in the right direction.
Democratizing the practice of sports
Our aim is to make the mountains accessible to as many people as possible, rather than just a privileged few. Whatever their level of experience or means, we want to make outdoor paths accessible to everyone. Our applications are designed to be increasingly intuitive, making it easier to prepare outings and access the mountains.
Respect for the environment
Protecting the environment is essential to preserving the mountains for future generations. We encourage our teams and users to adopt sustainable practices, such as respecting trails, reducing waste and protecting local flora and fauna. We have set up a charter to reduce our carbon footprint as a company. We also donate 1% of our sales to associations such as Mountain Riders, SylvACCTS, CREA Mont Blanc, and ZOM Connection through the "1% for the Planet" program.
Pushing the limits
The spirit of adventure and freedom is at the heart of our DNA. We encourage our teams and users to take on new challenges and push their limits, while staying safe and secure, thanks to the sharing of reliable information.
Listening to our users
Our users are at the heart of everything we do. Their feedback is essential to help us continually improve our products and services. We are committed to remaining accessible and responsive, taking on board every suggestion and criticism. For example, we have set up "Rencontres Iphigénie" to meet our users in the field. These are very rewarding moments for us.
Our team
Around Tim and Xavier, 29 other people work in the Pahada group as employees or outside contractors: Karl, Jérôme, Antoine, Greg, Damir, Ovi, Clément, Laura, Carla, Alice, Virginie, Pauline, Clément, Anne, Joseph, Matt, Alberto, Yoann, Stevens, Vanessa and Pipo. Many thanks to all of them for their day-to-day work.
Headquartered in Chamonix, the team is scattered all over the world: Chamonix, Grenoble, Chambéry, Lyon, Bordeaux, Paris, Copenhagen, Bucharest, Bali and even Tokyo!
Born in 1981, Tim worked between Paris and London for 10 years, mainly in Apple's European teams. Highly motivated by the Whympr project and the prospect of developing it, he resigned from Apple to concentrate on Whympr and set up his base camp in Chamonix.
Born in 1975, 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.