In 1966, two avid hiker, 20-year-old Doug and 22-year-old Thompkins came to the magnificent Sierra Nevada (SIERRA NEVADA) nearby, they prepare to climb from the north wall of 4418 meters above sea level edge of a peak Whitney unknown peak.
Unknown peaks line the north wall more challenging, no doubt more difficult, but their tastes are combined, they always enjoy a more creative way to climb. After boarding glaciers, Doug found on the right side of the cliff 10 meters high has a wide vertical slit, their efforts to climb above its mouth, from here up the left side of the chute where the gradient is sometimes close to 70 degrees, but it is very rocky well, almost solid granite. Slideway have enough hands for the seamless use cling for the prominent foot stone along the often very narrow, the two carefully, from time to time look back to see about 500 meters under the broad large glaciers, the magnificent but surprising . Dropping Thompkins touch a piece of loose stones, which stones along the chute quickly fall to the glacier, half a minute only two or three times up. Slideway upward slope is more steep, they run out of rope, and lasted seven hours of climbing so that they exhausted, only to leave eventually.
"Man, you do not feel that our lack of adequate materials and equipment" Doug said of his friend.
"Yes, you are not able to produce some climbing equipment, we simply open a store now!" Thompkins replied.
Thompkins obviously think that this idea not bad.
Two young men returned to San Francisco, immediately at the center of a small rented facade, behind the store is raising workshops, Thompkins is responsible for sales, and Doug is dedicated to using his machine processed products. The store was named naturally The North Face, of course, they did not forget to go mountain climbing.
In 1968, Doug and Thompkins formally The North Face registered as a trademark, the first thing SIERRA Products are PARKA jacket (in English, SIERRA Hill are meant), SIERRA PARKA jacket has become a classic The North Face Product.
"Never stop exploring" has become The North Face Products slogans. Under the leadership is in this spirit, The North Face technology constantly challenge the limits of rigorous investigation, design, production process and testing of athletes, the production of the most advanced, scientific mountaineering and outdoor supplies.
