Why does Stéphane from Vertige de l'Adour offer climbing, zip-lining and canyoning in the Pyrenees on Manawa?

Vincent Pinto is Manawa's Sales Director. Previously Regional Manager of France for the booking website, he helped launch the venture in 2015. A keen skateboarder, splitboarder, and snorkeller, he has tried out many of the sports offered on the website.

Meet Stéphane from Vertige de l'Adour

Stéphane Delpech, a qualified ski instructor and mountain guide from the Ecole Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme, founded Vertige de l'Adour in 2001. The centre offers rock climbing and via ferrata at the foot of the Col du Tourmalet, near La Mongie, as well as canyoning in the Adour valley, close to the Pic du Midi. Here's a look back at his collaboration with Manawa.

Climbing, via ferrata, zip-lining and canyoning

Climbing is an exciting sport practised outdoors on natural rock faces. It offers a unique experience, combining the beauty of nature with scaling demanding vertical obstacles. Climbing offers a stimulating experience that combines connection with nature, physical challenge and the development of technical skills. It's an activity that can be enjoyed by people of all abilities, from beginners to expert climbers.

Via ferrata is a unique experience that combines adventure, thrills, and the discovery of magnificent landscapes; a perfect balance between hiking and climbing. The activity involves following a route built into a rock face, using cables, rungs, and metal steps, equipped with a harness and two karabiners, to progress in safety. Via ferrata is an activity that can be practised by beginners or experienced climbers to discover new summits.

Zip-lining is a fun and exciting activity that offers a unique experience combining speed and the discovery of breathtaking scenery as you glide along a metal cable high above the ground. Zip-lines are often installed in magnificent locations, offering breathtaking panoramic views. Imagine crossing a valley, flying over a forest, or gliding over a lake. Most zip-lines are designed to be accessible to a wide audience, making them suitable for all ages.

Canyoning is an outdoor activity that involves descending canyons using a combination of techniques such as walking, climbing, jumping, swimming, and rappeling. Canyons are geological formations carved by the erosion of water through rocks, creating narrow passages, waterfalls, natural pools and more. Whether you're a fan of outdoor activities or looking for a new challenge, canyoning can provide you with thrills and unforgettable memories.

Why does Vertige de l'Adour work with Manawa?

Vincent : Hello Stéphane! To begin with, could you tell us about your activities and your company, Vertige de l'Adour?

Stéphane : Of course! I set up Vertige de l'Adour 23 years ago now. We offer climbing, via ferrata, and canyoning, and there are around twelve of us working during the peak Summer season. We also offer Winter activities such as the "ice tyrolienne", a suspended walk over frozen waterfalls and the snowy landscapes of the Pyrenees, accessible to all.

Vincent : Did you know that you were one of Manawa's first partners? The site was launched in May 2016, and we started working together in June of the same year.

Stéphane : Yes, indeed, it was good at the beginning, when I was on my own. Since we started working together, I've realised that you have the capacity to bring us additional clientele, and that it's completely complementary to my other marketing and communication channels: our own website and social networks, tourist offices, word of mouth, search engines... We need everyone to keep our company going and we quickly learnt that the synergy with Manawa worked very well, so it's something I intend to continue, and that I'd even recommend to my colleagues.

Vincent : We've only just started and you're already spoiling all my questions! [Laughs] No, seriously, thank you very much for your feedback, it's really enriching to get this kind of feedback. Before we get to the heart of the matter, could you tell us a bit more about the spot where you're based?

Stéphane : We're in the heart of the Pyrenees, next to Lourdes, Bagnères de Bigorre, the Pic du Midi, the Col du Tourmalet... So we have two very distinct seasons: winter, when there's snow, and summer, when you can climb in a tank top. We're very well placed, just an hour and a half from Biarritz. It's a really ideal location, between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.

Vincent : You talk about two very distinct seasons, but the seasons are expanding, aren't they? I imagine that you have customers who come earlier and leave later, both in winter and summer?

Stéphane : Absolutely, I hardly ever close any more. We welcome customers all year round. Of course, we have a very busy summer season and quieter periods, but business never stops. Bookings come in all the time, so it's essential for me to have an up-to-date calendar. Personally, I prefer to work like that. I find that it's more balanced, more enjoyable and it also makes it easier to retain my team.

Vincent: I understand, it must help when it comes to recruiting instructors. How did you come to live in the region? Are you originally from the Pyrenees?

Stéphane : Yes, I'm from the Pyrenees and I've always wanted to work in this field. For me, it's very important to be in France because the qualifications are strictly supervised, ensuring a high level of competence for the instructors. For customers, it's a guarantee of having fun in complete safety, accompanied by experts.

Vincent: Talking of customers, could you tell us a bit more about the type of customers you most often get?

Stéphane : We most often welcome couples and groups of friends, and a few families too. But it's mainly groups of young people aged between 20 and 30 who are looking for a thrill. Some of them book the activity on the Internet first, and then find accommodation. It's quite flattering when you consider that they've come to discover a particular activity and spot.

Vincent : It's great to know that activities have become a priority for travellers. At Manawa, our aim is to continue to promote them, to make it easier for local and international customers to discover them. Speaking of discoveries... Do you remember how you heard about Manawa?

Stéphane: I think you contacted me by e-mail. I decided to register with Manawa because I thought it was an interesting and intelligent approach. When you see that the web pages are well designed like yours, that customers can easily find the right information, and then that they arrive on time and know what to expect, it's really pleasant and reassuring. It makes you want to keep going and offer more products.

Vincent: So we can say that you decided to try it out of curiosity, and you stayed because the results lived up to your expectations?

Stéphane : Exactly. During our discussions, I realised that you were a practitioner too, and that your teams were well aware of the specifics of our business. You weren't just people who had been hired to do a telephone campaign. It's very important for me to work with people who are aware of the business, who know the issues and the challenges... I think that's as important for us as it is for you as a marketplace.

Vincent: Absolutely, it's one of Manawa's strong points and something we're paying a lot of attention to at the moment. The team is growing, but we're preserving our 'outdoor and adventure' DNA. Every year, we send our sales and customer service teams out to our partners so that they can test activities and understand their specific features.

Stéphane : Yes, these meetings are very interesting for us too. They allow us to get feedback and improve our products.

Vincent: In terms of managing bookings with Manawa, do you have any particular feedback for us?

Stéphane: No, not really, because managing bookings with Manawa is very simple. I can confirm bookings with a click of the mouse, just by looking at my schedule. And I know that we'll eventually be able to make booking confirmation automatic for customers.

Vincent : Absolutely. We are connected to around ten reservation management software packages, and we'll be connecting to others in the coming months. Automatic confirmation makes the process even smoother for customers, even though it's already simple... So would you say that the main advantage of working with Manawa is that it saves you time?

Stéphane : Yes, above all it's a gain in efficiency. Managing bookings goes very quickly once all the products have been set up. I receive an e-mail, I accept the booking or offer an alternative slot to the customer, and then I wait for them to come. It's very flexible, all the information is well relayed and if ever there's a problem or customers have any questions, your support team is there to help them. So there's a real service before and after the sale, and a real follow-up of bookings. For my part, all I have to do is keep my schedules up to date, and that's it! Manawa brings me local customers, but also customers who come from far away and want to book the activity well in advance, to make sure it's available on the date of their choice. So it also allows me to reach a clientele that I wouldn't have been able to target otherwise.

Vincent: Indeed, we have a lot of customers who do their research directly on manawa, and others who go to a search engine and type in "What to do in..." and that's how they discover our activities. And as you say, it's very easy to book afterwards. So you don't need to spend a lot of time talking to our customer service team... But, overall, are you satisfied with the way you work with our teams?

Stéphane : Yes, I'm 100% satisfied with the collaboration. It's real teamwork between the people on the ground, the guides who look after the travellers, and then you, the website that facilitates online bookings. We've been working together for a long time, we share the same values, we all have a real sense of responsibility towards our customers... It's a pleasure to work like this.

Vincent : Talking of shared values and responsibilities, do you think you have a duty to educate customers, for example about environmental protection, which is our playground?

Stéphane : Yes, we try to contribute in our own small way. We've joined the 1% For the Planet network to donate 1% of our sales to environmental associations. After that, we try every day to make our customers aware of good practices and to set an example, for example by picking up any rubbish we come across along the way... These are small actions that can make customers think.

Vincent : Great. We're also working on promoting more responsible activities. Do you have any new experiences to share with us?

Stéphane : Yes, we have a new product, a night-time zip-line course, which we'll soon be offering on Manawa. Also, for Spring, we're preparing a slightly more unusual experience: a "suspended night" where you can sleep between the trees, right in the heart of nature!

Vincent : Great! I can't wait to put them on the site. Finally, if you had to tell us about your best outdoor experience, what would you say?

Stéphane : The best experience, frankly, is my day-to-day work as an instructor, even after 40 years in the job. It's seeing the smiles on my customers' faces when they've finished an activity, and the feeling that I've helped them discover something new, that I've helped them go beyond their limits... It's great to give people pleasure. If they're happy, I'm happy.

Like Stéphane, you too can join the first booking site dedicated to outdoor and adventure activities by proposing your activities on Manawa.com: Join us!