The North Face Celebrates Global Climbing Day on Aug. 18, Drives 100,000 People to Local Gyms AROUND THE WORLD

Alameda, CA – July 17, 2018—The North Face today announced the 2018 global brand program, “Walls Are Meant for Climbing,” that asks people to rethink the way we look at walls. Since 1966, The North Face has seen walls as places where people in the climbing community come together to test themselves, build trust, and strengthen bonds. The program aims to counter the divisions we’re witnessing globally by inviting people to find trust in community.

In the U.S. The North Face continues its partnership with The Trust for Public Land to support the installation of public climbing walls in more communities, with a focus on underserved areas and making the sport more accessible to all. For more information on “Walls Are Meant for Climbing” and Global Climbing Day, visit thenorthface.com/walls.

In June, The North Face celebrated the completion of its first free, public bouldering wall in the Montbello Open Space Park, near Denver. The park is a soon to be completed, 4.5-acre green space serving 40,000+ low-to moderate-income youth and families from the area. We are in the process of identifying other locations in the U.S. where we will support installation of public climbing boulders and will announce those as they are confirmed.

The North Face has spent over 50 years searching for walls to climb because they offer both challenge and opportunity. Building on the success of the last year, we are again partnering with dozens of climbing gyms and facilities worldwide to celebrate our Global Climbing Day (August 18, 2018) and offering climbing opportunities in cities in the U.S., China, Europe, Canada and Mexico. Globally, we will donate $1 for every person who climbs at one of the more than 150 participating gyms on Aug. 18 up to $100,000. Funds will go to Khumbu Climbing Center.

“Last year, more than 20,000 people worldwide participated in Global Climbing Day,” said Tom Herbst, global vice president of Marketing at The North Face. “We hope to get 100,000 people climbing across the climbing community this year. We want this day to be a reminder of the type of community we all want to live, work and play in – one that is inclusive, inspiring and unifying.”

To celebrate the connections we make while climbing The North Face is releasing a limited series of “Walls are Meant for Climbing” products this summer, with designs in multiple languages to reflect the diverse communities participating in Global Climbing Day across the globe.

This year, we are also a sponsor of Psicobloc, the 2018 Deep Water Solo Climbing Series, which takes place in Park City on August 3 – 4 and in Montreal on August 24-26. The North Face has a long history of supporting the climbing community through sponsorship of athletes including Alex Honnold and Ashima Shiraishi, and through the support of non-profit organizations like USA Climbing, The Trust for Public Land, the Access Fund and the American Alpine Club, all of which focus on access, conservation and education. We are the national sponsor of Paradox Sports Adaptive Climbing Initiative, which is making the sport of climbing accessible in climbing gyms to people with physical disabilities.

About The North Face®

The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, LLC, was founded in 1966 with the goal of preparing outdoor athletes for the rigors of their next adventure. Today we are the world’s leading outdoor brand, creating athlete-tested, expedition-proven products that help people explore and test the limits of human potential. We protect our outdoor playgrounds and minimize our impact on the planet through programs that encourage sustainability. The North Face products are available at premium and specialty retail sporting goods stores globally and we are headquartered in California on a LEED Platinum-certified campus. For more information, please visit www.thenorthface.com.