There are few places in the world as spectacular as Yosemite National Park. Its towering rock faces, mighty sequoias and thundering waterfalls draw visitors from across the globe. One of its most awe-inspiring sights is Half Dome, a gargantuan quartz monzonite rock formation that rises to 2,696 metres above sea level. It's beautifully rounded on three sides but boasts a savage, vertical cliff on the other.
Half Dome was the inspiration behind the logo and name of one of the world's most revered and successful outdoors brands. Founded by American climber Doug Tompkins in 1966, this brand has achieved remarkable popularity both with adventurers and on the streets, where its down jackets and puffers have been something of a fashion sensation for decades. Inspired by his love of the mountains, Tompkins chose the famous brand name, The North Face. Technically, Half Dome's sheer cliff is the northwest face, but it doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it?
