The North Face Summit Series was originally launched in the fall of 2000 and was geared towards high-performance outdoor athletes, mountaineers and alpinists. Slowly, however, the Summit Series focus shifted, transitioning to the uniform of college fraternity members, high-profile rappers and New York City commuters. On the streets, the peak-and-circle logo — the Summit Series signature — became ubiquitous and the everyday adventure seemed more Summit Series than the next first ascent. And then, last year, the North Face put the whole line on hold and sat down to rethink the concept.
Now, the line emerges redesigned from top to bottom, using new materials and new technologies. The line is once again geared towards high-performance athletes on treacherous expeditions — notably Conrad Anker, Renan Ozturk and Jimmy Chin. The new Summit Series is made up of eight pieces, including four jackets, a pant, a fleece hoody and a base layer top and bottom. The new Summit L5 Shell features TNF’s DryVent material — their most breathable waterproof material ever. The collection also includes an expedition-weight parka called the Summit L6. The L6 utilizes 800-fill RDS down (certified by Control Union) to keep you warm even on the coldest ascents.
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The collection is limited and is available from select retailers and online now. Though TNF has taken every minute aspect of the collection into consideration and has designed it specifically for professional outdoorsman, it’s possible a few urban “explorers” might take it to the streets, as well.
