The North Face

Named for the most challenging side of the mountain, The North Face has equipped explorers since 1966 to reach their dreams. Driven by the mantra of Never Stop Exploring™, our expeditions inspire us to test the outer limits of performance and possibility.

In 1966, a young climber named Doug Tompkins used his savings to start a revolution. A humble shop in San Francisco soon became a cultural trading post where the Grateful Dead played live, the Beat Generation shared new ideas and a who’s who of American climbers stopped in after traversing Yosemite.