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Khumbu Climbing School, Everest Region, Nepal
January 18-February 14, 2005

Expedition Leader: Conrad Anker
Climbing / Instructor Team: Heidi Wirtz, Cedar Wright, Jimmy Chin, Dawa
Sherpa, Jon Krakauer, Adam Knoff, Ross Lynn, Kevin Tatsugawa, Ace Kvale,
Lila Bishop
Photographer: Jimmy Chin
Videographer: Karl Swingle


The people of Nepal are the backbone of virtually every guided Himalayan
climb and trek, yet as a group they rarely have any formal training in the
craft of climbing. As a result, their work is far more dangerous and
fraught with disaster than it needs to be. It is for precisely this reason
that The North Face athlete, Conrad Anker, has brought together a team of
mountaineers including Heidi Wirtz, Cedar Wright, Jimmy Chin, Dawa Sherpa,
Jon Krakauer and Adam Knoff to impart these valuable and life-saving
skills to Nepalis via hands-on classes held in the remote Khumbu region of
Mount Everest. The Khumbu Climbing School, a project of the Alex Lowe
Charitable Foundation, is a vocational school for high-altitude workers; a
project which translates to safer trips for all who ascend the mountains.


The second annual KCS was attended by 55 Nepali students, all of whom
learned the skills of rope management, belaying, rappelling, self rescue
and first aid. Classes began each morning with a one-hour English lesson,
followed by ice climbing on the frozen waterfalls of Khumbila Peak.
Second year students assisted the guides, an indication of the local
support and enthusiasm for this project. Students were tested at the
conclusion of the school and received graduation certificates. The course
will be made public in the form of an instructional video (in Nepali),
slated to air on Nepal television.


"It is our responsibility as alpinists to make the work the Nepalis do on
our behalf safer. The Khumbu Climbing School is a step in this direction."
Conrad Anker.


Nepal Himalaya, March 13 - June 13 2005


Lead: Dawa Sherpa


Dawa Sherpa is a one-man expedition and an extraordinary example of human
determination. Dawa grew up an orphan in a remote Nepali village. Today,
at age 37, Dawa speaks seven languages fluently, has reached the summit of
Mount Everest numerous times, and is one of the region’s most respected
lead guides.


Dawa plans to mountain bike the length of Nepal and traverse the
high-altitude passes (over 50 of them - all over 5000 meters) in two
four-month stints (Spring 2005 and Spring 2006). He does so in the name of
his 8-year old son, Gelu, who suffers from cerebral palsy. "I want to show
my son that he is the source of my strength, and ideas," Dawa says.


The North Face has adopted Dawa's record-breaking adventure, because it
believes that endeavors like this inspire the human spirit, and because it
endorses the powerful message of Dawa's trek: to raise awareness of
cerebral palsy, a debilitating disease that affects many worldwide. Dawa
calls his trek a peace walk, because his Himalayan homeland is stricken
with poverty and by Maoist terrorist rebellion in the mountainous
backwoods. He hopes his journey will raise attention to Nepals problems,
and that it will help to unify Nepalease people in peace.


To support Dawa, The North Face is providing funds and equipments, and it
is working with philanthropic partner Global Giving to fund Karing for
Kids Medical Clinic in the remote Rasuwa district of Nepal. This is an
adventure with a heartfelt message that could touch the lives of people
throughout Nepal, and worldwide.


Baffin Island Kite and Ski Expedition, April 25 - May 25


Expedition Lead: Hilaree Nelson-O’Neill
Team: Kasha Rigby, Ingrid Backstrom, Meg Oster
Photographer: Whit Richardson


Baffin Island, located in the Canadian Arctic, is the setting for this
multi-sport exercise in adventure and teamwork between The North Face
athletes and local Inuit people. The objective of this ski mountaineering
expedition will be for Hilaree Nelson, Meg Oster, Ingrid Backstrom and
Kasha Rigby to make numerous first descents along the majestic fjord land
that incises the remote and seldom visited east coast of Baffin Island.
This first all female ski moutaineering expedition will focus its
attention in the Gibb’s fjord, located about 75 miles from the Inuit
village of Clyde River. This area has never before been visited by ski
mountaineers, yet is known to contain dozens of steep, virgin couloirs
rising up to 4000 feet directly from the frozen ocean. The expedition will
travel to their remote base camp in Refuge Harbor with the help of Inuit
guides who will drag the team and their equipment with snowmobiles deep
into the heart of the arctic. From camp, the team will travel to the base
of the couloirs lining the fjord with the help of traction kites, which
should prove ideal on the wide open frozen ocean.


The local Inuit guides, in addition to providing transportation into the
fjords, will help by hunting seals and fishing, and they will also protect
the team from the local polar bears. In return the expedition will work
with philanthropic partner Global Giving to help fund the The Agvvik
Society, a group dedicated to eliminating domestic violence against Inuit
women and children via shelters and crises centers.


Copper Canyon
April 20 - May 01, 2005
Expedition Lead: Mark Synnott
Team: Greg Child, Cedar Wright
Photographer: Corey Rich


In late April, a group of The North Face canyoneers including Mark
Synnott, Greg Child and Cedar Wright will explore Mexico's Copper Canyon,
the largest canyon system in North America. Measuring four times larger
than the Grand Canyon, five different rivers divide Copper Canyon into six
massive gorges that cover an area of over 25,000 square miles. In addition
to raw natural beauty and physical challenge, another important draw to
the region is the indigenous Tarahumara culture, a group of semi-nomadic
cave-dwellers, numbering around 50,000.

While exploring uncharted canyons and waterways, the team will raise funds
and awareness for Agros, an organization that gets funding support for its
projects through GlobalGiving, a The North Face philanthropic partner.
Agros is committed to helping improve the quality of life for indigenous
Mexican families in the impoverished region of Chiapas. Agros loans land
to rural families struggling to survive. Through agricultural and business
training coupled with micro-loans, Agros enables families to own land,
animals, and farming tools in a developing community.


Pitcarn Island, Sail and Climb Expedition, June 15 - July 17


Expedition Leader: Mark Synnott
Team: Pete Athans, Greg Child, Kevin Thaw
Photographer: Jimmy Chin


Pitcairn Island is one of the hardest places in the world to reach; yet
this fact is just one of many aspects of this volcanic paradise that holds
exploration allure. Lying roughly midway between Panama and New Zealand,
this one-mile by two-mile wide island is ringed by untamed cliffs, some up
to 250 meters, that plunge into the South Pacific Ocean. North Face
athletes Mark Synnott, Jimmy Chin, Greg Child, Pete Athans and Kevin Thaw
plan to be the first in history to climb them.
Due to its remoteness, the island would likely be little known had it not
served as the hideout and home of the mutineers from the famed HMS Bounty.
Inhabited by less than 50 people, virtually all those who call Pitcairn
home are direct descendants of the sailors who mutinied against Captain
William Bligh in 1789. To achieve the goal of being the first to tackle
the Pitcairn cliffs, The North Face expedition team has planned an
ambitious sail through French Polynesia retracing the course of the
infamous sailors.


While there, the climbers will be working with the Pitcairn Island Council
to help build a boat shelter to protect their vessels. Fishing is the
community’s livelihood, and they periodically lose their boats to the
brutal Pacific Ocean storms that frequent the area.


Russia: Kitoy River Expedition, July 15 - Aug 15


Expedition Lead: Nikki Kelly
Team: Heidi Wirtz, Roxanna Brock, Tanya Faux
Photographer: Cameron Lawson


In 2005 The North Face will journey to Russia’s Mongolian border to
explore the Kitoy River. The Kitoy meanders through the ancient history
and epic scenery of the region known as little Tibet .
Led by pre-eminent whitewater sportswoman Nikki Kelly, an all-women team
will kayak the river, stopping to climb the epic walls that juts out of
the canyon. Very few have kayaked this river and none so far have climbed
its walls. The beauty and fascinating culture of the region is sure to put
Russia on the map as a whitewater mecca of the world.


With their journey, The North Face team plans to bring awareness and
funding to the good work of The City Bridge Foundation, helping to provide
Cancer medicine and treatment for Children. The objective is to provide a
child suffering from a plastic anemia, a rare autoimmune disease that is
about 90 percent curable if treated in time, with the medical support
necessary to cure this disease.


Cho Oyu, Tibet, August 27 - October 2


Expedition Lead: John Griber
Team: The Benegas Brothers, Hilaree N. O’Neil, Kasha Rigby
Photographer: TBD


Along the Tibetan border in Eastern Nepal, the jagged and snow-crusted
Peak of Cho Oyu stands 26,906 feet tall, making it the sixth highest peak
in the world. This fall renowned alpine climbing brothers, Damian and
Willie Benegas will attempt a new route to the mighty peak’s summit. At
the same time, fellow North Face athletes Hillaree Nelson O’Neill (skier),
Kasha Rigby (telemark skier), and John Griber (snowboarder) will descend
Cho Oyu. This is a momentous occasion, as this will be the first time an
8000-meter peak has been snowboarded by an American. Climbing is a
challenge enough at these heights, but to ski and snowboard is truly
pushing exploratory limits.
)
This seasoned group of alpine specialists will begin the expedition
together by acclimatizing and fixing camps. When the time is right Damian
and Willie will go their own way in an attempt of a new route. Meanwhile
Hilaree, Kasha and John, carrying skis and boards to the summit will also
fullfill their dreams and include their names in a small group to ever
carve turns from these heights.
(NOTE: expedition will be filmed by John Griber and group as documentary
film. Team will dispatch live audio, photo and maybe video feeds for the
TNF website daily)


Patagonia / Argentina, St. Exupery, Nov 15 - Feb 21, 06

November 15-February 21, 2006
Expedition Lead: Kevin Thaw
Team: Peter Croft, Cedar Wright, Heidi Wirtz
Photographer: TBD


Kevin Thaw has planned a two-part expedition in Argentine Patagonia that
is history in the making. First, his team plans to ascend what may prove
to be the ultimate alpine ice/mixed route as they tackle St. Exupery’s
South Face. This would be an unrivaled technical climb owing to St.
Exupery’s mixed terrain of vertical ice formations and overhangs.


Next, the team plans to enchain the entire Fitz Roy skyline. It would be
the finest coupling of difficult routes yet achieved, as the revered peaks
Mermoz, Fitz Roy, Poincent (via a new route), Inominata, St. Exupery and
Aguja de L’s are linked together. Without a doubt a monumental
achievement, the group is confident their goal is attainable. Included in
the objective is the first female ascent of Cerro Torre by teammate Heidi
Wirtz.


Cholong Glacier, Pakistan, June 15 - August 10

Team: Damian and Willie Benegas
Photographer: Damian Benegas

Obvious puns aside, there could be no more fitting expedition for The
North Face than to sponsor a first ascent of the north face of Pakistan’s
Latok 1 (7145 m). In an age when too many athlete teams follow well-beaten
paths to the world’s most revered mountains, William and Damian Benegas
prove that the spirit of exploratory alpinism is still alive and well. The
Cholong glacier offers a playground of countless unclimbed gems and new
routes up steep vertical terrain, big walls, ridges, and granite towers
that the brothers are eager to explore. And it’s all found far from the
fixed rope crowds and queues of other climbs.

In keeping with The North Face’s commitment to giving back to the
communities where they explore, the Benegas brothers will be working on a
variety of philanthropic projects targeted at helping the village of
Askole, their exploration departure point, and the gateway to the
Karakoram Mountain’s Baltoro glacier. A clean water source, increased
environmental awareness, donations for medical clinic supplies, and skill
workshops for high-altitude porters are just a few of the projects that
the team has in mind. From Askole, Damian and Willie will trek for three
days to the base of Latok Peaks where their expedition awaits.

** For detailed information on The North Face athlete team, athlete bios
and press kits, please contact Nina Johnson, 510.618.2815,
Nina_Johnson@vfc.com >



Adventure Consultant, Greg Child

The North Face would like to introduce The North Face Athlete Team member
Greg Child as their 2005 Adventure Consultant. Greg has been a long-time
sponsored athlete on The North Face’s heralded athlete team. His laundry
list of jaw-dropping accomplishments ranges from an ascent of K2’s North
Ridge without oxygen in 1990 to the first ascent of Baffin Island’s Great
Sail Peak in 1998, and speaks for his legendary reputation in global
exploration. Greg is a renowned author and won the Banff Mountain
Festival Book Award for his 1997 book Postcards from the Ledge. From the
field to the boardroom, Greg has a thorough understanding of The North
Face’s objectives, athletes, and expedition goals. Greg will act as an
informative point person representing The North Face in creating stories
around the 2005 expeditions. Please contact Greg for any further questions
on The North Face’s expeditions.


Phone: 435.259.1984, Email: gregchild@sisna.com


About GlobalGiving


GlobalGiving, founded in 2001 by two former colleagues from the World
Bank, has set out to create the first Internet-based platform for
international philanthropy.


The vision is to build a highly efficient "international philanthropy
marketplace" where individuals, corporations, and other institutions can
find and fund locally-run social, environmental, and economic development
projects around the world. At GlobalGiving donors of all sizes can have a
direct effect on positive world change and social entrepreneurs have
access to a new source of funding that didn't previously exist. Social
entrepreneurs are individuals that run lean, highly efficient
organizations working to effect positive world change in their communities
and the world at large.



About The North Face®


The North Face®, a subsidiary of VF Corp., was founded in 1966 and opened
its first retail store in 1968. Headquartered in San Leandro California,
the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to
accomplished climbers, mountaineers, extreme skiers and explorers. The
company's products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking and
skiing retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor
specialty retail chains. Additional information about The North Face® can
be found on the company’s website, www.thenorthface.com