The North Face

Mar 04 | Featured Philanthropy :: Access Fund

By The North Face

The North Face is one of the largest supporters of the Access Fund Land Conservation Campaign, a revolving loan program that ensures the Access Fund has capital on hand to purchase private climbing areas under threat of closure. The North Face contribution to the Land Conservation Campaign has allowed the Access Fund to save 12 climbing areas since 2009 and will continue to help us purchase many more climbing areas for years to come. 

Top 10 Climbing Access Victories in 2012

1. Saved Holy Boulders in Southern Illinois from development by securing temporary ownership of the property while locals fundraise to secure permanent access. You can help permanently protect the Holy Boulders by making a donation here.
2. Conservation Team tours 19 states, putting blood and sweat into 30 climbing areas by building 23 stone staircases, constructing 16 retaining walls, installing 15 drainage structures, eliminating 1,500 feet of social trails, cleaning 5 cliffs of graffiti, and picking up lots of trash.
3. Put Hueco Rock Ranch in climber-friendly hands by partnering with the American Alpine Club to purchase this iconic climbing resource.
4. Convened the Future of Fixed Anchors conference, bringing together the most prolific and knowledgeable first ascentionists, route equippers, advocates, and industry representatives to help proactively develop an American consensus for best bolting practices and to discuss the future of our sport.
5. Partnered with the Southeastern Climbers Coalition to save Hospital Bouldersfrom being auctioned to the highest bidder.
6. Helped lift a 9-year climbing ban at Auburn Quarry by partnering with Climbing Resource Advocates for Greater Sacramento to negotiate access with local government and fundraise to cover critical services for the climbing area.
7. Awarded over $45,000 in grants to support local access and conservation projects across the country—from climbing access trails, toilet installation, stewardship events, and climber education brochures to funding that kept climbing in our State Parks open amidst rampant budget cuts.
8. Expanded joint membership program to 14 partners, giving climbers the option tojoin the AF and their local group with one membership, sending much needed dollars directly back into local climbing communities.  
9. Opened a regional office in Chattanooga, TN to assist local climbing organizations in the Southeast with a myriad of private land access issues and opportunities.
10. Completed fundraising for Access Fund Land Conservation Campaign with $1.6 million, enabling the Access Fund to move quickly to save threatened climbing areas.

Access Fund Land Conservation Campaign from Access Fund on Vimeo.

 

Feb 19 | Clothes The Loop on Recycling with The North Face

By The North Face

Can you see your big toe through an old pair of shoes but don’t want to throw them away? We have good news for you. The North Face is excited to launch Clothes The Loop, a new program debuting in select retail stores this February. The Clothes The Loop program gives you an easy way to recycle used clothing and footwear to help keep these items out of the landfill, give them new life and protect natural resources.

Apparel and footwear waste is a problem. In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that roughly 22 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste ended up in landfills. The North Face is passionate about preserving our natural, outdoor playground, and we believe that every piece of apparel and footwear collected will help. The Clothes The Loop program is just one solution to this issue but we hope you’ll join us in our effort to reduce waste and take advantage of some cool incentives along the way.

How it works:

Specially marked Clothes The Loop bins will be at 10 The North Face retail stores, including Chicago (Michigan Ave), New York and San Francisco. You can find a full list of participating stores here. The Clothes The Loop program accepts used apparel and footwear from any brand and in any condition – wearable to rags. This includes anything from beanies and gloves to running shoes and hiking boots.

What we give you:

To show our appreciation for your support, each day you contribute to Clothes the Loop, you’ll earn one $10 voucher to be used towards purchase of The North Face products. Vouchers can be redeemed in participating The North Face retail stores on purchases of $100 or more. Additional details on vouchers are available at www.thenorthface.com/clothestheloop.

What happens to items collected:

Items collected through Clothes The Loop are sent to a recycling center where they are sorted into over 400 categories and designated either to be resold or recycled into raw materials such as insulation, carpet padding and stuffing for toys. The North Face will donate any proceeds made through the program to The Conservation Alliance, which funds community-based campaigns to protect outdoor areas for their habitat and recreation values.

With your help we can cut down on landfill waste and give that old t-shirt a new life. Clean out your closet and join us in the effort to reduce waste and protect the environment.

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Jan 07 | Featured Philanthropy :: Protect Our Winters

By The North Face

Protect Our Winters was founded in 2007 by pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones to address the gap between the effects that climate change was already having in our mountains and the action being taken by the snow sports community to fight it. Winter sports is a $66 billion industry that supports over 211,000 jobs in our local mountain communities - so to us, climate change is serious business. Without a stable climate, our industry, our jobs, the economies of mountain communities everywhere and the valued lifestyle of winter will be gone.

As we start a new year, it's our goal to continue our work teaching high school students about the effects of climate change, how important it is for them to appreciate and protect the outdoors and to become the next generation of environmental leaders. In our community, professional athletes are the greatest influencers, and to have athletes such as Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Ingrid Backstrom and Nick Martini meet and talk to students about climate change and the environment is once of the most powerful ways to inspire them to really get involved. Our young students are the ones who are going to find themselves directly feeling the effects of climate change, so it's our responsibility to provide them with the tools to get involved now.

To learn more about The North Face partnership with Protect Our Winters check out: http://protectourwinters.org/programs

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

               Kit DesLauriers shares her stories of witnessing climate change first hand at a Bay Area elementary school.

               

                Nick Martini talks with a Denver Highschool student about starting an environmental club at his school.

                Sage Cattabrigga-Alosa pumps up the crowd in Salt Lake City

Dec 13 | EXPEDITION SUSTAINABILITY- 2011 UPDATE

By The North Face

Today we issued an update to Expedition Sustainability, our sustainability report published in 2011. In that report we shared our experience embedding environmentally and socially responsible practices across our business. This report provides an update on our progress in 2011 and a first look at our global data on greenhouse gas emissions. 

During the 2011 holiday season we launched the ‘Shop-By’ eco-preferred materials section for both bluesign® and recycled content on TheNorthFace.com. This helped connect our customers to find products that have a high percentage of recycled or bluesign® approved content. Our partnership with bluesign® technologies is a cornerstone of our product sustainability program and we continue to work towards our goal of 65% bluesign® approved fabrics in our apparel lines by 2015.

Our work with bluesign® is also translating into savings for our suppliers through reductions in energy, water and chemical use at the factory level.

Though our savings to date are important, there is still room for improvement as we continue to work with more of our suppliers to adopt the bluesign® system.   

Beyond our efforts to make products as sustainable as possible, we also engage with people broadly through our Outdoor Exploration program. Our belief in the benefits of outdoor exploration is built into our philosophy that introducing people to outdoor adventure encourages them to love the outdoors and in turn to care about protecting the natural world. We expanded The Explore Fund grant program into Europe and Canada, helping to connect children to the outdoors internationally. We broadened our U.S. programs as well, taking Explore Your Parks to seven cities and Outdoor Nation to four additional cities in 2011. These programs, our Endurance Challenges races and The North Face Speaker Series events all support our goal of inspiring a new generation of explorers and conservationists.

For the first time we were able to provide visibility into our impact at a global scale through our interactive global greenhouse gas emissions map.

Learn more at expediationsustainability.com

We led a search, evaluation and selection process for a software tool to aggregate and track sustainability metrics such as energy, emissions, waste and water across all of our facilities. By increasing the amount and detail of our data, we will develop a brand baseline for our global impacts and continue work to reduce our footprint. This tool will be rolled out to all of the brands under our parent company, VF Corp, in 2013 and will provide us with the ability to examine energy, emissions and water data across the globe.

We invite you to explore our 2011 sustainability update further at http://expeditionsustainability.com/ and encourage and welcome all feedback in the comments below or by emailing us at expeditionsustainability@vfc.com.

Sep 30 | Nepal Inspiration

By Renan Ozturk

I'm just returning from a North Face supported expedition to Nepal, reeling in the inspiration of the mountains and culture at the roof of the world.  Nepal is a place I first visited in 2001 as part of an intense language program and I'm been back almost every year for expeditions of all shapes and sizes.  I can honestly say that it has molded my moutain experience as a TNF athethle more than any other place!

This time around instead of focusing on the big projects like the Khumbu Climbing Center, Caves of Mustang or a climbing objective we were lucky to be just zoning in on capturing the beauty of Nepal through film and artwork.  I was humbly working with ultra talented Dave Mossop, one the main founders and creatives of Sherpas Cinema.

Our main goal was to capture footage for Sherpas Cinema new ski feature film that will be realed in the fall of 2013.  Judging by the beauty and aclaim of their last film All.I.CAN it is bould to be utterly mind blowing!  Along with cutting edge ski footage the film will be a creative depiction of intense environmental and social themes that are relevent in this day and age.  For us, Nepal was the ultimate target rich environment to play with for such symbolism.  The fact that we didn't have a big ski/climb objective also allowed us the "dork out" the full extent and go a lot heavier with cutting edge film gear to elevate the visuals we captured :)  

Among the many highlights of our oddysey included shooting with one of the oldest Sherpas of the Khumbu, Karma Tsering (pictured above).  At 80 years old he is one of the happiest and strongest people I know, still hiking the 5 hours to market each week with his Yak to buy goods.  I've known him for years and was still sporting the classic TNF himalayan parka we gave him years ago :)  The special light and moments we captured with him were pure magic! 

Also pictured above (another iphone shot) is a Lama at the Upper Pangboche Monestry, the oldest in all of Nepal.  He gently swung the burning pot of juniper doing his morning Puja (blessing) in the sacred upper chamber, ambling slowing across the old creaking wooden floorboards.  The small skylight window above happened to catch the first rays of sun in weeks, creating a shaft of light, a slintered god beam like I've never seen before in my life.  We rolled the cameras with all our facy equipment in slow motion, not even whipspering during his chants.  After he finished the ritual we exited the monestary and into the glowing the vistas of the high himalaya, stunned to have catptured a few moments that could have been the most epic images of out lives.   

There are no words that can do these experiences true justice, I'm just just trying to share the inspiration with a few photos and then the eventually film :)  Thanks for checking it out and stay tuned!  ~renan

Aug 28 | TNF Expedition Art

By Renan Ozturk

Hey All! Just wanted to share a few thoughts on art, climbing how 7 years of being on the TNF athlete team has supported these endeavors. Ever since I hit the road to pursue climbing after college art & climbing have always gone hand in hand. In the beginning, living in the desert southwest I began to try to do justice to the magical landscapes of Indian Creek, Joshua Tree and Yosemite. I developed a style that was based on "being there" that was impressionistic, colorful and used a variety of mixed media on watercolor paper and canvas. Over the years when I became a TNF climber and had the opportunity to travel worldwide I was inspired to keep pushing my art and began creating larger mural size works in base-camps like the Trango Towers of Pakistan and the Mt. Everest region of Nepal. Its been great over the years to contribute a lot of this art for TNF teeshirts, duffle bags hats and beyond. These days my art focus has mostly shifted to creating films to tell a fuller stories of TNF adventures. However, this summer I was able to get back to the roots and use my hodge podge of acrylic paints, watercolors, sharpies and micron pens on a few new and exciting projects: First off I got the opportunity to create a custom art installation for the new store in Calgary (see above). Also a friend of the TNF family put me in touch with the band Umphrey's McGee and Railroad Earth who ended up using art from a TNF expedition for their Red Rocks show poster. Actually as I type this, I'm one week out from an art/timelapse expedition to Nepal. I'll be traveling with Dave Mossip from Sherpas Cinemas shooting a segment for their new ski film based on an overarching concepts of self exploration and actualization. It will be the first trip where I'll get to fully focus on art without any huge scary climbing objective ;) I think its safe to say this whole art and climbing thing is a life-long pursuit. "As in climbing, so in art, so in life. In all three the full spectrum of emotions come into play. At times there will be uncertainty, insecurity and fear. At other times there will be inspiration and things will flow effortlessly. Ultimately it is amazing that we are here at all. The more time we spend expressing ourselves through actions and thoughts the more richly we have lived. Climbing and art are two of the greatest vehicles I have found to carry me this direction."

 

Jul 16 | The North Face Gets A Sustainable New Headquarters

By The North Face

The North Face, JanSport and lucy Move to Employee-Inspired, Sustainable Campus Designed to Inspire Innovation and Collaboration

It’s a pretty exciting day for us at The North Face as today we moved into our new headquarters in Alameda California.  We are joined by our VF Outdoor coalition partners JanSport and lucy at this new location. The new 14-acre campus embodies the brands’ outdoor ethos and commitment to their associates, community and the environment. The goal from the beginning was to create a work environment that mirrored the commitment to the outdoors that The North Face believes in.

“I’m thrilled to welcome our VF Outdoor associates to our new home in Alameda. Today culminates nearly four years of thoughtful design and planning. Our new campus reflects our team’s unique culture and passion for the outdoors,” said Steve Rendle, Group President of VF Outdoor and Action Sports Americas. “VF Outdoor includes many of VF’s fastest-growing businesses and the co-location of the JanSport, lucy and The North Face brands at one central campus will lead to even greater product innovation, collaboration and business growth.” 

“In planning the new headquarters, we drew heavily on employee input, relying on a group of employee-led taskforces to consult on the campus’ design,” Rendle added.  “As a result, several features were incorporated in the campus, including:  

• A 1,000 square-foot fitness center and outdoor training area
• On-campus bike shop and equipment gear lockers
• Café featuring healthy and organic food options that will host cooking classes and chef demonstrations
• Community vegetable garden for employee harvest, which will also provide fresh produce for the café and
• Emphasis on ‘bringing the outside in’ by maximizing the amount of natural sunlight at indoor work spaces.”

Employees get ready to sample the organic cafeteria food

The campus will also include several sustainability features that align with our dedication to outdoor preservation and environmental responsibility. In addition to being built in accordance with LEED Gold standards, the campus generates 100 percent of its anticipated electricity needs through a combination of photovoltaic solar panels and wind turbines. Additionally, a state-of-the-art indirect-direct evaporative cooling (IDEC) HVAC system circulates 100 percent fresh air without the use of emission-causing coolants. The campus also features electric vehicle charging stations and is conveniently located near public transit to encourage associates to consider alternative modes of transportation to and from the new headquarters.

VF Associates enjoy a great outdoor lunch on our first day!

Our new neighbors are pretty excited that we are here too. “We are thrilled to welcome the VF Outdoor family to our Alameda community. The JanSport, lucy and The North Face brands’ commitment to sustainability and passion for the outdoors mirror those of our local residents,” said Marie Gilmore, mayor of Alameda. “We look forward to the contributions VF Outdoor will make to the local business community and economic well being of our city.”

Lots of historical images were included in the new building

The 160,000 square-foot headquarters is located at 2701 Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda. VF Outdoor worked with several key partners on the project: San Francisco-based interior designer Rapt Studio, Alameda-based developer SRM Associates, San Francisco-based exterior designer FME Architecture & Design, Pleasanton-based general contractor J.M. O’Neill and landscape architect April Philips Design Works Inc. of San Rafael, Calif.

Mar 13 | Want the Best Internship on Earth?

By The North Face

 

Are you sick of spending your entire internship in front of the copy machine?

Fed up with making coffee for the whole office?

Tired of being an under-appreciated intern?

This summer, get out of the office and into the great outdoors! Make your friends jealous by spending June, July, and August hiking, biking, rafting, climbing, exploring, and chilling!

The best parts of The Best Internship on Earth:

• The Outdoor Youth Ambassador will travel around the country with the Sierra Club’s Mission Outdoors programs, and video blog those experiences for the Sierra Club and The North Face!
• In past years, we sent interns Evan Geary and Kokei Otosi to New York City to march in the Puerto Rican Day Parade, to Bainbridge Island (off the coast of Seattle) for outdoor leadership training, to the San Jacinto Mountains in Southern California to go backpacking and rafting down the American River! We're planning similarly exciting and diverse trips for 2012!
• The Outdoor Youth Ambassador is a PAID position, including all-expenses-paid travel, plus $2,000 worth of merchandise provided by The North Face, a hallmark brand for outdoor gear, apparel, and footwear.

If you're a student or recent graduate over the age of 18, you can apply by  submitting a 60-90 second video that showcases your love for the outdoors and why you want to be the Sierra Club's 2012 Outdoor Youth Ambassador. The application period closes on March 27, 2012 at 5PM PDT.

Once you've applied, tell your friends to watch your video and vote! Like it, share it, leave a comment -- we want your online community to show their support for your adventure. The five videos with the most votes will be among our Top 10 finalists. The other five videos will be selected by the Sierra Club. Getting your friends and family to vote for your video is a surefire way to draw our attention to your application. The voting period closes on March 30, 2012 at 5PM PDT.

via www.sierraclub.org

Mar 07 | Become an Outsider: Outdoor Nation Unveils 2012 Program Plans

By The North Face

 

Outdoor Nation, an outdoor movement led by leaders of the millennial generation, today announced its 2012 program plans of hosting 10 Youth Summits, growing its investment in youth-led projects and ultimately empowering thousands of young leaders to reconnect their generation with the outdoors. Providing major support for the ambitious plans, founding partner The North Face announced that it will be a Presenting Sponsor of Outdoor Nation for the third year in a row. In the past two years, Outdoor Nation has emerged as a major force that represents a new generation of thought leaders and change makers who are spearheading innovative projects, influencing decision-makers and mobilizing more people to get outdoors and get active.

In addition to their Presenting Sponsorship of all 2012 Outdoor Nation Regional Youth Summits,             The North Face and Outdoor Nation will return to the 2011 Summit sites, to provide intensive training to an elite group of more than 500 young people ready to take their leadership to the next level. Funding will be provided to 10 youth-led projects that will engage thousands of additional youth. The North Face will be the exclusive host and sponsor of a special outdoor adventure for participants at every event. Featuring The North Face athletes, Outdoor Nation Summits will include a uniquely authentic outdoor experience bringing to life The North Face “Never Stop Exploring” motto and asking leaders to push their personal limits in the outdoors. 

A cornerstone of the 2012 plans, Outdoor Nation will host 10 Youth Summits this year – mobilizing and activating more than 2,500 young leaders (ages 16-28) across the country. Providing varying levels of training and leadership development, each Summit will bring the next generation of outdoor activists together to identify pressing outdoor issues, discuss and develop strategies to address these barriers and commit to taking action, together. During each Summit, Outdoor Nation will fund the top young leader-created, millennial-led program ideas that get young people outdoors and active – investing as much as $100,000 in on-the-ground projects.

The 2012 Summits will be held in Boston, New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Austin, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and San Francisco – with several taking on a special focus. The Boston Summit will center on the connection between health and the outdoors – in partnership with Tufts University and Massachusetts State Parks. In Salt Lake City, the Summit will be tied to Outdoor Retailer and bring young industry leaders together, and in Washington DC, Outdoor Nation Ambassadors will set a national agenda, receive training and meet with key stakeholders in Congress and the Administration.

Each Summit will include a conversation on outdoor careers – helping young leaders understand employment pathways and opportunities. These discussions will be hosted by a panel of private, public and non-profit professionals with real, practical ways youth can pursue an outdoor career. 

Outdoor Nation is committed to amplifying the youth voice by organizing briefings with White House officials, Members of Congress and other important decision-makers. Continually working to build an active community of outdoor leaders, Outdoor Nation engages youth in online forums and provides resources about outdoor leadership and project development.

Feb 22 | What are your #ClimateConfessions ?

By The North Face

 

 

At this year’s X Games in Aspen, The North Face and Protect Our Winters (POW) asked attendees for their “Climate Confessions” and to take the POW Seven Pledge.  Over 600 visitors to the North Face booth took the pledge.  POW and The North Face have also produced several short videos to distribute throughout their respective social networks and online communities to promote the POW Seven Pledge. 

The POW Seven is a list of seven important ways that individuals can fight climate change.  The list, compiled by some of the world’s foremost experts on climate change and sustainability, was created in response to a lack of credible, results-based action items and the need for individuals to become more directly involved in the fight against climate change.  Protect Our Winters is asking the snowsports community to take the POW Seven pledge, thereby committing to do each of these seven items on a regular basis.

Tell @thenorthface and @protectwinters your #ClimateConfessions on Facebook and Twitter, then take the pledge to make a change for the environment. Take the pledge using POW's Facebook app for an opportunity to win prizes from Protect Our Winters.