Virtual summiteers could win £1,000-worth of gear

Outdoors enthusiasts who reach a mountain summit stand to win more than £1,000 worth of gear.

And the ascent will involve no more effort than few keystrokes on a computer or mobile phone.

Basecamps is an online game launched by outdoor brand The North Face via the Facebook Places social media site. Players can build a basecamp on a virtual mountain using the Facebook mobile application.

A spokesperson for The North Face said: “Each time a player or their friends check into their basecamp, their character climbs further up a virtual mountain.

“A player’s basecamp may be any real world location such as home, school or office. Checking in at a The North Face store gives the player a boost further up the mountain in a virtual helicopter. Incentives such as booster packs containing The North Face hats, scarves and other winter warmers help to fight the virtual chill.

“When the player reaches the last and final basecamp by midnight, 17 April 2011, instructions are sent on how to reach the summit. The first three people in the UK to reach the summit will win more than £1,000 of products from The North Face, delivered to their door by the Basecamps van.”

Michele Scarano, senior digital marketing manager for The North Face, said: “Innovation is in the brand’s DNA. This game allows our fans and consumers to experience our values in an interactive and fun way.”

Details of how to play the game are on the Facebook Basecamps site.