Baronnies
Baronnies (Bureau des Guides des Baronnies) is a France-based outdoor adventure guide service, operating since 2003 from Buis-les-Baronnies, offering guided via ferrata, canyoning, climbing, hiking, and unusual mountain activities to individuals, families, and small groups led by state-qualified professionals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersBuis-les-baronnies, France
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Baronnies does
Baronnies (legally Bureau des Guides des Baronnies Provencales; DBA: Guides des Baronnies) is a privately held, founder/owner-operated outdoor adventure guide company headquartered at 340 Le Grand Chemin, 26170 Buis-les-Baronnies, Drôme Provençale, France. Operating continuously since 2003, the company organizes guided outdoor activities across five categories: Via Ferrata (with five difficulty-graded routes on the Saint-Julien cliff face plus external sites at Pas de l'Echelle and Gorges d'Aulan), Canyoning (intermediate, mini-discovery, and water walking), Climbing (sessions, multi-day courses, adventure courses, and a Kids Club for ages 4–7), Hiking (themed and customized walks with bivouac options), and Unusual Activities (sunset via ferrata, vertigo rappelling, and portaledge sunset experiences). The underlying technology is service-based rather than software-based: all activities are delivered in-person by state-qualified mountain professionals (High Mountain Guides, mid-mountain guides, climbing instructors, canyoning instructors) using standard technical climbing equipment in natural sites within the Parc Naturel des Baronnies Provençales.
The business model is direct-to-consumer with no online booking system. Customers reserve activities by telephone during office hours (10:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00); meeting points and logistics are then communicated by email and SMS. Revenue is generated per activity session, with pricing ranging from €25 (Kids Club) to €600 (single-participant multi-pitch course) and most collective sessions priced at €35–€100 per person depending on group size. A gift voucher (Bon Cadeau) program at custom amounts, valid 12 months with zero fees, serves as both gifting and referral channel. The team includes seven named guides led editorially by Franck Moscatello (High Mountain Guide). There is no parent company, no venture capital or external investment, no subsidiaries, no M&A history, and no mobile app — the company's only digital surface is its multilingual website (guides-baronnies.com) operating in French, English, and Dutch.
Market positioning targets domestic French tourists and international (notably Benelux) visitors seeking safe, professionally guided adventure experiences in a Provençal mountain setting. Customer composition skews to individuals, couples, and families, with private bookings for groups of 1–4+ participants. Differentiation rests on state-qualified guide credentials, 20+ years of regional operation, a curated portfolio of natural sites, and skill-level coverage from children (ages 4+) to advanced climbers. Liability coverage is provided through an ALLIANZ insurance policy (number 644 849 53) covering the full activity portfolio.
Baronnies firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Baronnies
- Legal name
- Bureau des Guides des Baronnies Provencales
- Website
- https://guides-baronnies.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Baronnies (Bureau des Guides des Baronnies) is a France-based outdoor adventure guide service, operating since 2003 from Buis-les-Baronnies, offering guided via ferrata, canyoning, climbing, hiking, and unusual mountain activities to individuals, families, and small groups led by state-qualified professionals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Baronnies industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rock Climbing, Mountaineering & Via Ferrata Guides (THAAADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hiking, Trekking & Backpacking Tour Operators (THAAADAA), Hiking, Trekking & Mountain Guiding (THAJABAA), Wildlife & Nature Interpretation Guides (Birding, Photography, Naturalist) (THAAALAE)
Keywords
Where Baronnies is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Buis-les-baronnies
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Baronnies business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Outdoor Adventure Guiding Services: The company generates revenue by providing guided outdoor activities including Via Ferrata, Canyoning, Climbing, Hiking, and Unusual Activities. Customers pay per activity session, with pricing varying by group size, activity type, and duration. Revenue is one-time per activity, with gift vouchers (bons cadeaux) available in custom amounts valid for 12 months.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Via Ferrata - Saint Julien Green (Level 2/6, 170m, 1h, min height 1m25) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Via Ferrata - Saint Julien Grise (Level 3/6, 300m, 1h30, min height 1m35) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Via Ferrata - Saint Julien Bleue (Level 4/6, 440m, 2h30, min height 1m50) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Via Ferrata - Saint Julien Noire (Level 4+/6, 640m, 3h, min height 1m60) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Via Ferrata - Saint Julien Rouge (Level 4/6, 460m, min height 1m50) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Via Ferrata du Pas de l'Echelle à Chalançon (650m, min height 1m40) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Via Ferrata des Gorges d'Aulan (550m) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Via Ferrata du Saint-Julien at dusk (Level 2-4/6, 2-3h, min height 1m55, ≥4 participants) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Intermediate Canyoning - Rémuzat or other (half-day, min age 10) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mini-canyon Discovery - Buis les Baronnies (1h-1h30, min age 7) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Water walk - Saint May or other |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | The Reminder of Vertigo - 2 descents |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | The Reminder of Vertigo - 1 descent |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Unusual sunset from the cliffs (≤2 participants, private) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Climbing session - 4 participants |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Climbing session - 3 participants |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Climbing session - 2 participants |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Climbing session - 1 participant |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Climbing session - half-day package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Climbing session - full day package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Climbing course - 5 half-days (group min 4) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Long-distance course - 3 half-days (multi-pitch) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | A lane at Saint-Julien - 1 to 2 participants (private guide) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adventure course - 3 half-days (climbing, canyoning, Via Ferrata) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Kids Club - 1h30 (ages 4-7) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift vouchers (bons cadeaux) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Baronnies product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Bureau des Guides des Baronnies organizes and leads guided outdoor adventure activities — including Via Ferrata, Canyoning, Climbing, Hiking, and Unusual Activities — in the natural mountain environments of the Baronnies Provençales and Drôme Provençale regions of France. Activities are delivered by state-qualified mountain professionals and are sold per session to individuals, families, and small groups, with optional gift vouchers available in custom amounts.
Product overview
The Bureau des Guides des Baronnies is a mountain guide company offering guided outdoor adventure activities in the Baronnies Provençales region. The core offering consists of five main activity categories: Via Ferrata (with multiple Saint-Julien routes plus external locations), Canyoning (intermediate, mini-discovery, and water walking), Climbing (sessions, courses, adventure courses, and kids' club), Hiking (themed walks and customized trips with bivouac options), and Unusual Activities (sunset via ferrata, vertigo rappelling, and cliff-top sunset experiences). All activities are led by state-qualified mountain professionals (high mountain guides, mid-mountain guides, climbing instructors, and canyoning instructors). The company also offers gift vouchers as a supplementary offering.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Baronnies
Customer profileSegments3 records
Baronnies technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Baronnies partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ALLIANZminorThe Bureau des Guides des Baronnies holds a liability insurance policy with ALLIANZ (policy number 644 849 53) guaranteeing the vendor's responsibility linked to the organisation and sale of various sporting disciplines including climbing, Via Ferrata, canyoning, and hiking.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Baronnies competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bureau des Guides de l'Oisans: Mountain guide bureau in the Oisans valley offering climbing, via ferrata, canyoning and hiking — directly comparable multi-discipline guide-led adventure tourism business.
- Compagnie des Guides de la Grave: High-mountain guide company offering climbing, mountaineering, and via ferrata in La Grave; same qualified-guide-led D2C adventure tourism model.
- Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix: Long-established bureau of high-mountain guides offering climbing, mountaineering, and via ferrata in the Chamonix massif. Same 'bureau des guides' structure with state-qualified guides running multi-discipline outdoor activities for tourists.
- Aventure Verticale: Outdoor adventure operator specializing in via ferrata, climbing, and canyoning in the French Alps; similar D2C activity catalog with qualified-guide delivery.
- Bureau des Guides des Écrins: High-mountain guide bureau operating in the Écrins massif offering mountaineering, climbing, and via ferrata — analogous qualified-guide D2C adventure service.
- Bureau des Guides de Serre Chevalier: Mountain guide bureau in the Serre Chevalier valley offering guided outdoor activities including via ferrata, climbing, and hiking — directly comparable operating model and service mix to Baronnies.
Others
- GetYourGuide: Global OTA for tours, attractions and outdoor activities; not a direct competitor but the dominant digital distribution channel where operators like Baronnies can (and currently largely do not) capture incremental bookings.
Regional players
- Azimut Sport: Outdoor adventure operator in Provence/Drôme region offering canyoning, climbing, and via ferrata — same regional geography and overlapping activity portfolio, making it a directly comparable Provence peer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Baronnies financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Baronnies leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Baronnies funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Baronnies M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Baronnies
What does Baronnies do?
The Bureau des Guides des Baronnies organizes and leads guided outdoor adventure activities — including Via Ferrata, Canyoning, Climbing, Hiking, and Unusual Activities — in the natural mountain environments of the Baronnies Provençales and Drôme Provençale regions of France. Activities are delivered by state-qualified mountain professionals and are sold per session to individuals, families, and small groups, with optional gift vouchers available in custom amounts.
Is Baronnies a public or private company?
Baronnies is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Baronnies founded?
Baronnies was founded in 2003.
Where is Baronnies based?
Baronnies is headquartered in Buis-les-baronnies, France, in the Europe region.
How does Baronnies make money?
One revenue line is on record: outdoor Adventure Guiding Services.
Who are Baronnies's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bureau des Guides de l'Oisans, Compagnie des Guides de la Grave, Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix, Aventure Verticale, Bureau des Guides des Écrins and Bureau des Guides de Serre Chevalier. GetYourGuide is listed as an others. Azimut Sport is listed as a regional player.
Does Baronnies have an API?
No public API is recorded for Baronnies.
What industry is Baronnies in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAADAC, Rock Climbing, Mountaineering & Via Ferrata Guides, with a secondary code of THAAADAA, Hiking, Trekking & Backpacking Tour Operators. Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 7900.