The North Face

Jun 07 | True North - An Intern's Experience

By The North Face

"You're our top candidate..."  After finishing a phone interview 45 minutes prior, I wasn't expecting to hear those words so soon, or really at all.  My name is Lindsey, I’m 29 years old (quickly approaching 30), from Los Angeles, CA, and through social media, my world changed.  Via a Facebook post found on Modern Hiker – a hiker I follow to learn of new trails in the greater Los Angeles area – I was introduced to a great opportunity being offered through Backpacker Magazine in partnership with The North Face.  It was an intern position working with one of their esteemed athletes to coordinate an inaugural service event at the annual athlete summit, this year being held in Jackson Hole, WY.

Upon my introduction to The North Face headquarters located in Alameda, CA, I was in complete disbelief at how a building could embody my ideology on sustainability and environmental awareness.  In Los Angeles, I worked as an Art Department Coordinator for film and television, and oftentimes I’m known as the girl who brings her own bowl.  Working in an industry that is wasteful overall, it was great to see a company so dedicated to the environment – through their use of reusable water bottles, composting, an onsite garden, and every type of bin to collect items for reuse or recycling (even an energy bar wrapper collection bin), not to mention their approach to their products being cruelty-free and having the least amount of environmental impact in production and shipment.  I was a fan from the beginning.

Through countless phone calls and e-mails, Heidi Wirtz (TNF climber, philanthropist, and awesome woman) and I were able to develop a great service event partnering with the American Alpine Club’s Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch.  The American Alpine Club, a climbing and advocacy group, through their Climbers’ Ranch, provides an accommodation option to mountaineers and their families during the summer months.  In the first week of June, the Ranch conducts “work week,” a great program for climbers and those interested – in exchange for a week of working on improvement projects, a month of accommodation at the Ranch.  In preparation for work week, the Ranch needed our help in readying it for visitors. 

To say that the arrival into Jackson Hole, WY was bumpy, would be an understatement.  After a fall from the sky, and a ride reminiscent of being inside a “BOGGLE” game, Blair (Sr. OE & Community Development Coordinator) and I touched down.  Welcomed by a short spurt of rain, we started off readying for the next day’s service event – picking up work gloves donated by an amazing organization, Teton Science Schools, which educates about nature and the ecosystem through a variety of programs, and conducting a quick site visit at the Ranch to run over the last-minute details.  Meeting with Philip, the manager of the Ranch, and the two assistant managers – Debbie and Gary, gave Blair and I great insight into the Ranch, and the actual scope of work that we were undertaking.  We were even welcomed by some of the locals – two moose, and a bushy-tailed fox!

The day of the event was met with a mix of nerves and excitement.  Once at the Ranch, Heidi, Blair and I readied for the arrival of the athletes and the TNF staff.  To keep the carbon footprint to a minimum, we used human-power to get the majority of the volunteers to the event.  Via forty bikes, five cars, and some on foot, everyone began to arrive.  The Tetons were shrouded in clouds for most of the morning, but as the runners ran, the bikers biked, and the cars drove up, the clouds lifted, creating a nice welcome to the Ranch. 

With four awesome project leaders at the helm, there was little that could go wrong.  The Ranch had been closed for winter, and our efforts were concentrated on de-winterizing: moving bikes out of cabins and picnic tables out of the cook shelter, cleaning windows, removing shutters and storm doors, hanging screens, cleaning coolers, and the largest task of the day – gravel relocating.  The gravel is dispersed unevenly around the Ranch, and was in need of some leveling and movement for better mobility via foot, bike and car.  Each volunteer took to his or her project with great enthusiasm and excitement!  Seeing snowboarders wielding wheelbarrows, runners riding bikes from the cabin to the bike rack, skiers cleaning windows, and climbers carrying shutters on their heads to storage, it was a multi-sport grouping of awesome and inspiring individuals doing their part to give back.  From the physicality of the shoveling, to some creativity in getting the bikes out of the cabins, and even window washing extending from the cabins to the cars nearby, everyone had a great time giving back and getting in a small workout.  The event was a success being celebrated after by a lunch brought in from Jackson Whole Grocer – a fresh, wholesome, and organic market in town.  With the Tetons as the backdrop – it couldn’t get much better!

Leaving the event, it seemed surreal that it was over.  Philip and the Ranch were ecstatic with everything we were able to accomplish, and the day exceeded their expectations!   

Everyone I have met, from the receptionist at the TNF front desk, to the contacts at the nonprofits in Jackson, to each member of the marketing and PR team at The North Face, has been helpful, kind and welcoming!  To have this opportunity truly embodies Backpacker Magazine’s description of the position – a dream job.  It has been a stellar experience, and has only reinforced my love for the outdoors and the industry that services it!  

Jun 04 | Big Walls of Morocco :: Dispatch 3

By The North Face

Photo credit : Kris Erickson

Hazel Findlay and Emily Harrington are tackling big walls this month in Morocco. These two ladies took on a 3,000-foot route in the Atlas Mountains from the ground up, and this is the story of that climb.

To see more about this climb check out National Geographic's Adventure Blog.

Hazel and I attempted an onsight of "Babel" two days ago. I'm proud to say that we came pretty damn close to freeing every pitch in good style. In the end, it wasn't all onsight, and it wasn't all totally free, but we gave it absolutely everything we had, topped out after 16 hours of climbing on the wall, and still had smiles on our faces.

The day looked a little like this: We woke up at 3:30 a.m. to begin our climb. We forced down some food and caffeine and hiked an hour and a half to the base of the route, beginning the first pitch at 6 a.m., just after first light.

The first half of the wall is characterized by difficult technical slab climbing - very few holds, spaced bolts, and little room for error when it comes to balance and technique. We were also onsighting which meant we had no idea where the holds were and there was no chalk on the wall because no climbers had been up there recently. It was the ultimate unknown challenge - just a 2800 ft blank wall before us. We climbed slowly through the first six pitches, freeing nearly all of them but not as cleanly as we wanted to. I fell at the very end while trying to onsight the hardest 7c+ (13a) pitch. After 45 meters of battling I failed, slipping off in a zone where no holds seemed to be (there were, I just wasn't finding them). I let out a heartbroken scream followed by a few sobs. There would be no repeating this pitch. I was already feeling tired and my skin was thin. We had far too much climbing left to keep moving so slowly. Hazel sent this pitch while seconding and we continued to push, higher and higher.

Photo credit : Kris Erickson

We climbed onto a steeper, orange head wall, replacing grey slabs and micro crimps with massive "Swiss cheese" holds that we could almost sit down in. The change in angle was welcoming for our skin and toes, which were aching from all the slab climbing, but now the pump was setting in and our forearms began to suffer. We finally reached one of the easiest of the pitches - a long 6b+ (5.11a). I was looking forward to this pitch, to moving quickly on easy terrain. I offered to lead it and set off, motivated by the possibility of gaining some height and letting my mind and body rest for a bit. I was so, so wrong. I soon discovered that the nearly 60 meter pitch had only three bolts. It was so runout I felt like I was soloing. The climbing was confusing and there were bushes and loose rocks intermingled among the solid stone. I finally committed to the runouts - actually grabbing one draw after I placed it because I felt off balance while trying to clip. I arrived at the belay on a massive ledge, confidence shattered and nerves fried. My mind and body were wrecked. I couldn't think straight. It was nearly 7 p.m. already. We had five pitches of hard climbing left and only one hour of daylight.

It was still my lead and I faced a runout 7b (5.12b) next. Hazel offered to take the lead but I said no. I wanted to turn it around. I focused and set off. I ignored the runouts, committed to the small holds that had begun to feel like razor blades, and just kept moving up in the fading light. I reached the anchors with a renewed attitude and psyche. But it was short lived. Hazel seconded and then took over the lead. Now it was dark and freezing cold. I shivered and tried to be supportive as she quested up the next 7b pitch in the dark. Three times she broke a hold and came flying off the wall - a fit of frustrating screams and cursing. She kept trying again though, and eventually succeeded. The next pitch was a 6c (5.11b) and yet again it did not let us take our guards down. This time it was so dark and cold I could barely move or talk. I watched Hazel climb higher and higher without finding any bolts or solid gear (she carried a small set of wires with her but it proved fairly futile). In the end, she clipped maybe two bolts and placed a sketchy wire before reaching the anchors. I followed on top rope, feeling weird and shaky and desperately wanting to stand on horizontal ground after nearly 15 hours on the wall. When I reached the belay Hazel expressed that she felt it was too dark and we were too cold and tired to safely continue on Babel. There were only two pitches remaining, but the next pitch was a 7a (5.11d) and it looked like another cryptic horror fest. We opted to walk along the ledge until we reached a class 3 gulley we had previously scrambled up when we climbed another route on the same wall the week before.

Photo credit : Kris Erickson

We quickly but safely simul-climbed up the gulley, reaching the top at 10:30 p.m. - 16 1/2 hours after leaving the ground!!! Relief melted through me. We had reached the end. Our priority had been to free all of the pitches, but our main objective was to get to the top - a proud feat in itself. We were stoked with our effort. It wasn't over though. We still had to walk back down to Taghia. The hike is usually about three hours, but this time it took us five. We got horribly lost trying to find the trail that leads down through the cliff band. My headlamp died and Hazel's was weak so we relied on the moonlight to guide us. We eventually found the right path after several failed attempts and a few conversations about whether or not to just try and sleep until daylight when we would be able to see better. We stumbled into the gîte at 3:30 a.m. - 24 hours after we left it to set out on our journey.

I woke up the next morning with a deep ache in every muscle and joint in my body. The skin on my finger tips was so tender I could barely dress myself without wincing, and my hands were so sore they wouldn't close into a fist. It felt glorious. There's a certain blissful exhaustion that comes with completing such a journey, a joy in pushing oneself to the absolute max, feeling totally spent and empty. It's cathartic and invigorating. We didn't send the route, but in the end, that meant very little to me in comparison to the deep satisfaction I experienced after such an adventure.

To see more about this climb check out National Geographic's Adventure Blog.

Jun 03 | Featured Philanthropy :: Outdoor Outreach

By The North Face

Outdoor Outreach is a San Diego based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to empower at-risk and underprivileged youth to make positive, lasting changes in their lives through comprehensive outdoor programming. Outdoor Outreach programs support underserved youth who are at risk for school dropout, substance abuse, violence and unintended pregnancy. Their unique program model utilizes outdoor physical experiences combined with academic and social support to provide youth with the support, relationships, resources and opportunities they need to become successful adults. Since their founding in 1999, they have taken more than 7,260 youth on over 2,000 outings, including rock climbing, snowboarding, surfing, snorkeling, mountain biking and backpacking. The Outdoor Outreach model has produced amazing results: Over the last four years, serving youth in schools with graduation rates between 45%-60%, 100% of Outdoor Outreach participants have graduated with 95% moving on to college or technical school.

The North Face brand ambassador Ryan Hudson's life was changed at 14 when he was introduced to snowboarding through Outdoor Outreach.  Now competing as a semi pro athlete Ryan's story shows just how transformational the outdoors can be.

 

To learn more about how you can get involved with Outdoor Outreach visit: http://www.outdooroutreach.org/get-involved/donate/ways-to-donate/

To learn more about how The North Face is helping inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts visit www.TheNorthFace.com/getoutdoors.

 

 

 

 

 

May 30 | Watch Cedar Wright and Lucho Rivera in "The Climb" on ESPN

By The North Face

In 2011 Cedar Wright and Lucho Rivera put up two new routes on Dragon's Horn on Malaysia's Tioman Island on a quest to raise money for Big City Mountaineers. This spring, they teamed up again with Backpacker Magazine and Big City Mountaineers to guide trips up Mt. Whitney. This Sunday, they share thier inspiring stories of giving back to at risk youth through climbing on ESPN's "The Climb." 

The Climb airs Sunday, 10 a.m. - ESPN, and Sunday, 11 p.m. - ESPN Deportes

Check out the full preview from ESPN

 

The best way for Lucho Rivera to save himself from a life of gang violence in San Francisco’s Mission District was through the risk and adventure of rock climbing. The sport led him through self-discovery and gave him access to a new world, from Yosemite to Malaysia. Chris Connelly presents this story for ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

“It was kind of a ghetto time for the neighborhood. My teen years in a gang were spent hanging out on corners looking up to these guys who were maybe about 10 years older than us who sold drugs. – Lucho Rivera, on his life as a gang member in San Francisco

“For Lucho, it was especially meaningful. He had come from being that kid in the hood to being someone who could really make a difference for kids like him.” – Cedar Wright, Lucho’s friend and climbing partner, on Lucho giving back to at-risk youth through rock climbing

 

 

May 22 | Big Walls of Morocco :: Dispatch 2

By The North Face

Hazel Findlay and Emily Harrington are tackling big walls this month in Morocco. These two ladies are planning on taking on a 3,000 foot route in the Atlas Mountains from the ground up, a month in Morocco would test anyone - doing it on a vertical plain offers a unique perspective.  Follow their exploits and updates through the end of June here at www.neverstopexploring.com/blog/morocco

It's Hazel and I'm going to write you a little blog about the last few days :-)   

We started off the trip on the wrong foot with a bout of sickness. A few days in, and we were feeling a bit down with no good routes under our belt, a bit of rain and dodgy stomachs. 

The next day we decided to ignore our toilet troubles, pack our bags and try an 18 pitch 5.13 up Tagoujimt and Tsouiannt, which is the same wall that our main objective Babel is on. The route is called Fantasia and it is fantastic. Beautiful orange rock followed by a three-hour descent, watching the sun set over the most spectacular scenery. 

It was a long day and we were tired but our spirits were high. We had a rest day  and then did another route called Shucran up Oujdad. With these two routes done we have a lot more confidence for climbing Babel. 

Although we understand that we may fail to send, at least we know that we can give it a really good try and whatever happens it will be a long day of really good climbing and that's what we like! 

 

Wish us luck! 

Hazel 

 

May 21 | Big Walls of Morocco :: Dispatch 1

By The North Face

Hazel Findlay and Emily Harrington are tackling big walls this month in Morocco. These two ladies are planning on taking on a 3,000 foot route in the Atlas Mountains from the ground up, a month in Morocco would test anyone - doing it on a vertical plain offers a unique perspective.  Follow their exploits and updates through the end of June here at www.neverstopexploring.com/blog/morocco

We arrived in Taghia just three days ago and all of us received a slight beat down. First, Hazel had a bout of sickness while we were not even halfway up a six-pitch 6c called "a boire." She's a resiliant one, though, and we cruised our way to the summit and were greeted by a stunning view of Taghia and the massive cliffs that surround the tiny remote village that we'll call home for the next three weeks. 

The struggle was far from over, however, because we returned back to the gîte where we're staying only to have me start projectile vomiting into a plastic bag because I couldn't make it to the bathroom in time.

Needless to say, we were in rough shape. The following day we hiked up to the Tagoujimt n' Tsouiannt wall to scope out our main objective "Babel" and to try to climb a route. "Babel" is massive and daunting. That, coupled with the fact that I was running a fever and felt dehydrated from puking the day before, left me feeling intimidated and insecure. We barely climbed, and instead hiked back down (me stumbling) to sleep the sickness off.

I woke up feeling loads better - a million times better in fact. But the weather did not reflect this. The sky high limestone cliffs were shrouded in dank, wet clouds. It had rained all night and there was not a dry piece of rock in sight. We drank too much coffee and ate Moroccan pancake bread "Bgirir" with honey and pondered our circumstances. In the end, we decided to hike down valley to a sport climbing crag called "Les Colonnettes de Tamdarote". 

Hazel and I both felt kind of awful, our bodies weak from illness and therefore our confidence slightly shaken. But in the end I managed a send of "click air" 8a+ on my third try. I realized that this was my hardest route in over a year, since before Everest. What a treat! My forearms were too full of lactic acid the whole time, but I persevered and made it to the end of the route. A small victory considering all that we have ahead of us, but a victory nonetheless. 

Now, we're relaxing at Kris Erikson's house in Agoudim, a village down valley. We are checking internet, drinking beer, eating mexican food made by his wife Chloe, and replenishing our psyche for the weeks ahead. Lets hope the worst is behind us! 

May 16 | Mike Hopkins :: Bralorne BC

By The North Face

Last Summer Mike Hopkins spent 10 days in the backcountry outside Bralorne BC exploring first descents and sick new lines in addition to testing some of the 2013 Mountain Bike line for The North Face... Here are some of the best images from that trip and his blog update from last September post trip.

It’s been way too long! No excuses. First up, what happened to summer?! Some how September snuck in the mix and I’m not sure about you, but I’m not so happy about it. Summer’s been treating me too well, making me not all that interested in the winter months that stand on the doorstep. Perpetual summer bring it on!

The answer to waltzing away from Crankworks early lies in one magical little word … Bralorne.  For months I have been working on a project alongside The North Face and Sherpas Cinema, and on August 17 it was time to put that plan into motion.  I packed the truck, prepared for 8 days of camping, and made my way to Kamloops to pick up the other athlete who would be saddeling up for this adventure.  While putting this project together, it was suggested that we bring along another rider so I wouldn’t be standing atop these massive lines fearing for life itself all by my lonesome.  And so, I made the natural choice and brought along someone I had never met.  I made the selection off what I had learned on the internet (not always the best way of making a decision, but in this case it was dead on) and after hitching up a couple ATV’s I picked up Matty Miles and we made way of the mountains.

On the Eastern edge of the Coast Mountains lies layers of peaks seemingly undecided in which direction to reach.  Some tower skyward, others have given way to gravity and pressures of time, beginning their slow top-down degradation.  This tectonic playground is home to one of mountain biking’s most exciting environments.  It is one of the only places that truly blurs the lines between skiing and riding a bike.  We traded the confides of trails for steep open faces and tight coulouirs of rock.  There is only one way I can put it into perspective… It’s what Alaska is to skiing, but for biking.  The goal of this project was explore the uncharted potential of the area, and chalk up a few first descents.  And oh buddy, did we accomplish our goal.  I could write a novel about this trip but I won’t.  I am just going to dangle the carrot. Having Shperas Cinema, the most talented production team in the game covering all the angles, and Blake Jorgensen capturing each turn of the excursion moment by moment, it would be rude for me to lay all the details of the trip in a spoiler blog.  The film and imagery we captured even blows my mind so I figured we better do it justice with a proper release.    Although you have read this far so instead of leaving you so the least I can do is give you a couple insightful tasters… Insanely Beautiful Landscape, Float Planes, Snow, Alpine Base Camp, scaling sketchy rock walls with Bikes, fastest moments ever on a bike (and my back brake was fully locked), Helicopters, 2500 ft. first descents, escaping lightening stroms, flipping quads, bush whacking, Snow Roads, Breakfast laps, carving, roosting, countless “High-Fives”, close calls, Gnarly drop-in’s, epic sunsets, the most scenic bathroom of all time, feeling like a pioneer, wicked crew … Trip of a Lifetime!!  The Carrot has officially been dangled.

Huge Thanks to Everyone who saw this trip through, especially The North Face, Sherpas Cinema, Blake, Matty… insanely stoked!

 

May 08 | Expedition Denali :: Help Them Reach Their Goal!

By The North Face

This June, nine mountaineers will attempt to become the first all-African-American expedition to climb Denali (a.k.a. Mount McKinley) in Alaska. Their goal goes way beyond making history on North America’s highest peak. Their ultimate objective is to inspire people of all colors, young and old, to get more engaged in the great outdoors.

Dubbed Expedition Denali: Inspiring Diversity in the Outdoors, this National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) expedition, with support from The North Face and others, will happen. How many people know about it—how far the team’s inspiration and awareness reaches—is another matter.

Through a Kickstarter campaign that ends on Friday at noon EST, Distill Productions is raising funds to create a powerful, far-reaching documentary on the team’s journey to the top of North America’s loftiest, most iconic summit. This project will impact future generations in countless ways—for example by addressing nature deficit disorder, fighting our obesity epidemic, raising interest in preserving our great wild places, and proving the universal accessibility of outdoor recreation. The one-month Kickstarter campaign is an all-or-nothing program, so the final push to $107,500 is imperative. Pledges are incentivized by prizes that directly relate to the expedition and the film, including gear donated by The North Face. People interested in making tax-deductible contributions to the production of the film can do so here. 

May 06 | Featured Philanthropy :: IMBA

By The North Face

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) creates, enhances and protects great mountain bike experiences. Our local groups — IMBA's mountain bike chapters, clubs and patrols—help care for the trails you ride by donating nearly a million annual hours of volunteer service to public lands. We work in partnership with land managers, conservation groups and other recreational users as we promote sustainable trail building and riding practices. IMBA is a membership-based 501 3 c non-profit organization with programs in North America, Europe, Australia, Asia and elsewhere. Learn more by visiting www.imba.com or facebook.com/IMBAonFB. 

The North Face is a member of IMBA and provides additional support for special events and the Subaru IMBA Trail Care Crew--traveling trainers who teach sustainable trail building, lead volunteer workshops and work with land managers on specific MTB projects around the country. http://www.imba.com/tcc

IMBA Annual Fund 2013 from IMBA on Vimeo.

 

 

Apr 29 | Explore Fund Grantee Profile :: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake

By The North Face

To learn more about the Explore Fund visit www.ExploreFund.org, applications for 2013 grants are open until May 1st.

Through our 4 Club locations in Salt Lake and Tooele Counties in Utah, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake serves over 4,700 kids each year including 1,300 teens. We have nearly 500 members attending the Club daily. We provide low and no cost programs in neighborhoods where kids need us most to ensure we reach our intended population. The members of our Clubs represent some of the neediest and most underserved youth in our state: • 69% are from low-income families (with some Club sites as high as 97%) • 35% come from single-parent homes • 47% are ethnic minorities (with some Club sites as high as 85%) Our Clubs reside near some of the world’s best outdoor opportunities: hiking and rock climbing in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains, skiing and snowboarding in the “greatest snow on earth,” fishing and whitewater rafting in scenic lakes and rivers, and just exploring Utah nature and wildlife. Unfortunately, while some tourists from all over the world spend fortunes on Utah vacations, many low-income kids from Salt Lake City and the surrounding area are unable to access or afford the outdoor activities only miles from their homes. Also, due to urban lifestyles and sedentary habits so prevalent today many kids do not even know about the opportunities they are missing.

Club Adventure is an exciting and popular program designed to connect our Club kids with the outdoors and nature. Each year we collaborate with multiple community partners to provide snowboarding trips, canoeing and river trips, and outdoor climbing events. Our Club members have also gone ice skating, indoor rock climbing, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, and even snorkeling at the Bonneville Seabase. Every month more and more Club kids are experiencing outdoor programs and staying fit through Club Adventure.

One of the major goals of Club Adventure is to overcome barriers to getting our Club members outdoors. Unfortunately, cost is often one of the most significant hurdles preventing many of our kids from outdoor participation. Even relatively low cost activities like hiking are too far out of reach for kids who can't afford proper equipment or don't have the support and supervision of a responsible adult.

 

Club Adventure exists to fill these holes. Grant funds from The North Face Explore Fund will be used to cover the rental costs of mountain bikes, canoes, and climbing equipment. Funds will also be utilized to transport our kids to and from outdoor activities, and to cover the fees associated with guides and instructors to keep them safe.