Everyone has their own Everest

Over ten years have passed since I went for the first time on a trekking trip with friends to the highest peak in the Venezuelan Coastal Range: Pico Naiguatá. It was a gruesome 12hr hike to the top at 2765m, overloaded with unnecessary gear that never left the backpack, but this is common amongst first-timers and a lesson to never forget.

Eventually, it became a weekend ritual to explore the trails with friends as the mountain stood in plain sight overlooking Caracas from end to end, drawing in people of all ages and backgrounds but sharing the same spirit for nature. Around this time, I began taking photographs of similar trips and, in the process, discovered a passionate community for the mountains and rock climbing during a photography-film contest held annually called Festival Ascenso. 

It was a similar but smaller format to the more internationally renowned BANFF Mountain Film Festival, celebrating the encounter between man and nature, promoting appreciation for the world’s mountain sites by creating opportunities for individuals to share and find inspiration in the wilderness.

Here is where I first heard about the unforgiving conditions of mountains like Kilimanjaro or K2 in Pakistan. Still, none carry a more prominent reputation than Mt. Everest, with its 8849m of white-covered snow peaks, especially the North Face of Everest. 

One of my favourite authors Jon Krakauer, expressed in his book Into Thin Air, “I quickly came to understand that climbing Everest was primarily about enduring pain. And in subjecting ourselves to week after week of toil, tedium and suffering, it struck me that most of us were probably seeking, above all else, something like a state of grace.”

The north face of the mountain is steeper and more challenging to climb than the south face, as the final ascent lies along a ridge that forms the border between Nepal and Tibet. As a result, The North Face brand, whose motto is “Never Stop Exploring,” was named after this mountain’s most challenging side of Everest.

Doug Tompkins, a novice climber, used his money to launch a revolution in 1966. Doug and Susie Tompkins established The North Face in 1966 as a modest retail and mail-order business. With just $5,000, the pair initially sold high-quality camping and rock climbing gear and set up shop in San Francisco with a sign that read “Mountaineering Specialists.” The couple sold the shop for $50,000 two years later, and it was ultimately acquired by the VF Corp (NYSE: VFC) for $25 million in the year 2000.

The North Face brand has focused on producing the finest mountaineering gear and clothing for athletes and modern adventurers since its foundation, promoting the protection of the outdoors and inspiring a global movement. The VF Corp (NYSE: VFC) owns a variety of brands, including Timberland, Vans, and Supreme. They understand that style, technology, comfort and sustainability are all features that attract followers of these brands and are the elements that make The North Face stand out as professionals in the field, both for being practical and fashionable.

The company, which is more than 50 years old, has not only developed into one of the most recognized suppliers of outdoor equipment but has also succeeded in breaking into the fashion industry. Its clothing can currently be seen both on the high street and climbing mountains.

The North Face tells the tale of an excursion to the mountain’s hidden side, the side that thrills adventurers and satisfies their thirst for ingenuity and style. Additionally, it’s a journey into the untamed side of nature, which the brand celebrates and protects with fresh, high-performance lines that are getting more environmentally friendly.

Every action they take incorporates sustainability and approaches every new design with ways to extend the useful life of the products, not only through the materials they employ but also by making recycling or repairing a garment easy for consumers. This is a vital component of the work they do and a journey they have committed to from the beginning. To complete this vision of lessening the environmental effect of its products, the company has aimed to use only 100% sustainably sourced materials by 2025.

The North Face has such a rich brand history, not only in terms of their design and innovation but also what the company has stood for over the years, something to keep in mind next time you see their iconic logo when you’re out for a walk around the city or hiking a trail.