To discover the story behind Iphigénie, we invite you to take a little journey through time.
The history of cartography began with the earliest representations of the world, drawn on clay tablets. The oldest known map is the Babylonian Map, often referred to as the Map of Sippar, dating back to around 2300 BC. Ancient Greeks, such as Homer and Ptolemy, later contributed to the development of maps through their descriptions of territories and their early attempts at geographical systematization.
In the Middle Ages, maps were often based on religious and symbolic concepts, with little geographical accuracy. The Renaissance marked a turning point, with the emergence of detailed nautical charts driven by the exploration of new lands. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century enabled maps to be distributed more widely, while advances in measuring instruments and projection techniques improved their accuracy.
Modern cartography incorporates advanced technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and satellite imagery, enabling us to understand and represent the world with unprecedented accuracy. Iphigénie is helping to transform the face of cartography as the first French mobile app to digitize IGN maps.
Digital tools like Iphigénie are part of this tradition of innovation, making it easier to plan hikes and other outdoor activities. It enables both individuals and professionals—such as foresters, guides, geologists, firefighters, and researchers—to plan their routes, access detailed maps, and use highly accurate mapping tools.Iphigénie is about more than just navigation.
It also embodies strong values that we want to carry with us on every trail! A love of nature, respect for the environment, safety, and the joy of pushing your own limits are at the heart of our mission.
By helping users fully enjoy their passion while minimizing their environmental impact and promoting responsible outdoor practices, Iphigénie contributes to preserving the natural beauty of the great outdoors for future generations.
Iphigénie embodies the evolution of technology for individuals and professionals, combining route-planning tools with detailed maps.
Created in 2010 by Max Barel, an independent developer with a passion for cartography, Iphigénie gained popularity through word of mouth. With more than one million unique visitors per year, it became France’s leading mapping app within just 10 years.
The mobile app was developed in close collaboration with the Institut national de l’information géographique et forestière (known as IGN, or Institut géographique national until 2012, when it incorporated the national forest inventory).
Iphigénie is fully independent from IGN and provides hiking, mountain biking, ski touring, trail running and outdoor enthusiasts in general with a mapping service featuring highly accurate topographic data, as well as navigation assistance through its built-in GPS.
The first version was released in April 2010, at the dawn of the smartphone era. Max Barel, passionate about cartography and outdoor activities—particularly hiking and horseback riding—set out to digitize paper maps and bring them together in a single app, so they could always be at hand on his iPhone. Hence the name: “IPH” for iPhone, “i” referring to IGN, and “GÉNIE” meaning computer genius. The Android version followed in 2013.The app has won several awards in the Géoportail API competitions and remains the leading app for accessing Géoportail resources.
In 2021, Max Barel reached the end of his career and decided it was time to sell Iphigénie. But not to just anyone. He wanted to ensure that his family business could preserve its values and keep its team together. He also wanted it to be taken over by someone local, with a passion for the mountains and outdoor activities. That’s how Max Barel met Tim MacLean, co-founder of Whympr.
Max Barel, founder of Iphigénie, explains: “I’m relieved to be handing over our tool to a French company that shares our 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 will be involved in this transition over the coming months, with Antoine and Clément staying on board to take Iphigénie to new heights and help shape the vision for its next chapter.”
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Since January 2022, Pahada Holding—which means “mountain” in Nepali—has brought together the two apps, Whympr and Iphigénie.
It is the app that brings together all the essential information for planning and sharing your mountain and outdoor activities. It was created in 2017 at the foot of Mont Blanc by two Chamonix locals with a passion for the mountains
It's the leading mapping app in France, trusted by millions of users. Launched in 2010 by a mapping enthusiast, it is now an essential digital tool for both individuals and professionals (forestry workers, mountain guides, firefighters, geologists...).
The merger of the two apps in January 2022 led to the creation of the new Pahada group, bringing together development, communication, and innovation resources, while ensuring that each app remains independent and complementary.
Thanks to this collaboration, the teams behind Whympr and Iphigénie now work together to continuously improve both apps, drive growth, and meet the needs of their communities.
At the heart of our DNA are a love of the mountains, respect for the environment, making outdoor sports more accessible, and the desire to push boundaries through digital innovation.
Pahada's mission is to become the world's leading outdoor app group.
Since May 2023, Éditions Vamos, founded more than 30 years ago by two mountain guides and friends, has been part of the Pahada group. The goal of this acquisition is to further develop the publication of guidebooks while making their content available digitally on the Whympr app through QR codes integrated into the books.
Today, more than 1,000 digital guidebooks are available for purchase on the Whympr app. Our goal is to digitize all the guidebooks featured in the printed editions. Each format has its own purpose, and we strongly believe that digital and print should work hand in hand, complementing each other.
Whympr aims to become the leading digital platform for planning mountain activities, with guidebooks as one of its key pillars. Our goal is to offer our respective customers an even more comprehensive solution that meets their needs and expectations in the field.
We are passionate about the outdoors and everything they have to offer. Every outing is an opportunity to explore and appreciate this unique environment. Based in Chamonix, we are on the front lines, witnessing the impact of climate change on Mont Blanc and its surrounding areas. Our love of the outdoors is reflected in our commitment to creating tools that make every mountain outing more accessible.
Innovation has always shaped the way we experience the mountains, improving both safety and performance. We believe digital technology is the next step, helping us continue to evolve our practices in the right direction.
We aspire to make the mountains accessible to as many people as possible, rather than just a privileged few. Whatever their level of experience or financial means, we want everyone to be able to enjoy the outdoor world we love. Our apps are becoming increasingly intuitive to make the mountains more accessible to everyone.
Protecting the environment is essential to preserving the mountains for future generations. We encourage our teams and users to adopt sustainable practices, such as staying on marked trails, reducing waste, and protecting local wildlife and ecosystems. We have also implemented a charter to reduce our carbon footprint as a company. We also donate 1% of our annual revenue to environmental organizations through the 1% for the Planet program.
A 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, thanks to the sharing of reliable information.
Our users are at the heart of everything we do. Their feedback is essential to helping us continuously improve our products and services. We are committed to staying accessible and responsive, taking every suggestion and piece of feedback into account. For example, we have created “Iphigénie Meetups” to connect with our users out in the field. These moments are incredibly valuable and enriching for us.
Around Tim and Xavier, 29 other people work within the Pahada group as employees or external contractors.
A big thank you to them for their day-to-day work.The head office is based in Chamonix, and the team is scattered around the world.
Born in 1981, Tim worked between Paris and London for 10 years, mainly within Apple's European teams. Highly motivated by the Whympr project and the prospect of growing it, he resigned from Apple to focus on Whympr and set up his base camp in Chamonix.
Born in 1975, Xavier is a digital design and marketing expert. Based in Copenhagen, he is now in charge of design for Whympr and Iphigénie, in addition to his other professional collaborations. Tim and Xavier are cousins, descendants of a historic family from Chamonix.
Iphigénie, IGN maps, even offline.
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