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Pace Communications Teams with The North Face for New Online Magazine
Web-based magazine dedicated to comprehensive coverage of outdoor adventure sports to feature articles written by renowned athletes.

GREENSBORO, NC, April 26, 2006—Beginning in April, Epic, a new online magazine targeted to outdoor adventure enthusiasts, will debut, providing a forum for the adventure sports industry across multiple disciplines. The new magazine is the creation of The North Face, the world’s premier supplier of technical outdoor apparel, equipment, footwear and gear, in partnership with Pace Communications, the world’s largest privately owned custom publisher. Penned by world-renowned climbers, alpinists, long-distance runners, skiers, snowboarders and other authors, Epic will feature advice, trends and coverage of events and expeditions of interest to both athletes and consumers.

“The North Face has a long history of providing the most technical outdoor apparel, equipment, footwear and gear to people who rely on it to pursue their adventures,” said Joe Flannery, Vice President of Marketing for The North Face. “With Epic, we can now work with our athletes to more frequently share experiences from expeditions, offer advice and serve as a conversation piece within the outdoor community.”

Epic will bring the world’s most daring sport adventures and remote locations to its readers though video feeds, live chats and photo slideshows.

Athletes and other contributing experts will share their tips on everything from packing light to finding the best equipment to recipes for meals on the go. The site will also feature links to The North Face’s sponsored events and philanthropic partners such as Global Giving, Red Rock Rendezvous and Ouray Ice Festival.

“We’re delighted that The North Face has decided to create an online magazine with unique content aimed at their core customer,” said Craig Waller, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at Pace Communications. “And, we’re equally delighted that they have chosen Pace to partner with. Our award-winning editorial experience will help make this site a must-visit destination for the adventure enthusiast.”

The April issue of Epic, the inaugural edition and launch, will feature contributions from Conrad Anker, Greg Child and Mark Synnott. Anker is well known for having climbed some of the most technically challenging terrain in the world, including the big walls of Patagonia and the mountains of Alaska. Child has made 13 expeditions to the Himalayas, and, in 1999, his team became the first Westerners to encounter the Bungaroo people of the upper Kurung Valley in the remote jungles of northeast India. A passionate skier and mountaineer, Synnott appeared in the 2001 film Cold Fusion, skiing on Mt. Waddington (13,177 feet) and Mt. Combatant (12,323 feet) in British Columbia. Most recently, he snagged the first descent of a 5,100-foot couloir on Baffin Island’s highest peak, Mt. Odin (7,044 feet).

In connection with their stories, the April issue of Epic will include:

A high-definition video crew accompanied The North Face and Global Giving on a humanitarian expedition in Nepal. The team documented the success of bringing high-level eye care to the locals as well as The North Face athletes’ climb to the summit of Cholatse (21,128 feet). Epic will take readers behind the scenes of the documentary, describing the challenge of making mountaineering and adventure films and the role played by the new high-definition technology and lightweight equipment.

Epic looks ahead at the Yosemite climbing season through the eyes of Mark Synnott. He’ll tap Yosemite insiders for news on what’s ahead, including new routes, areas of activity and gear. Synnott will take readers to his “hometown”—the White Mountains of New Hampshire—and show us his favorite rock climbs and hikes.

The launch issue will feature Greg Child’s “A Margin of Luck,” excerpted from his book Mixed Emotions. Child’s classic mountaineering columns and original work will appear regularly on Epic. The May issue features a new work by Child that movingly recounts a three-week expedition through the homeland of the ancient Anasazi.

Trail chef/author Don Jacobson weighs in on the importance of finding fresh, nutritious and featherweight foods that are satisfyingly tasty but also full of fuel for serious outdoor adventure. (Readers will be able to download recipes onto their iPods.)

Epic also looks back on this winter’s Ouray Ice Festival, the world’s premier ice climbing event.

Epic can be found online at www.ExploreEpic.com