British mountaineer Bear Grylls is the latest outdoors athlete to
be sponsored by The North Face.
Grylls,
who is just 29, is best known as the youngest Briton ever to summit
Everest and return alive, though most members of the general public
will probably know him as the Everest climber who worries about his
anti-perspirant before addressing the RGS thanks for his appearance
in a Sure For Men TV ad. His dry underarms should, of course, mean valuable dry cleaning savings for the company.
Grylls was just 23 when he climbed Everest, before that he was the
youngest Briton to climb the beautiful nearby peak of Ama Dablam then
in 2003 he led the first team to cross the Atlantic via the Arctic
Circle unassisted in an open rigid inflatable boat in aid of the
Prince's Trust.
Remarkably, all this was achieved after he broke his back in three
places during a freefall parachuting accident in southern Africa,
whilst serving with the British SAS.
"Bear loves The North Face brand and is as extreme in his
enthusiasm for our clothing and equipment as he is in his
expeditions. His passion for conquering the outdoors and his sense of
adventure is inspirational." Says Keith Byrne of TNF.
"The North Face will be supporting Bear Grylls on all his projects
for 2004 and will provide all his clothing and equipment from the
most specialised technical gear to lifestyle garments."
For more TNF information, see the web
site.
