Doug Tompkins: life and death of the ecological visionary behind North Face

The company co-founder, who died last week in a kayaking accident, was an outdoorsman and environmentalist who launched two billion-dollar businesses. Those close to him recall 'a brilliant man with an absolute passion' for nature

They were on the fourth day of what was supposed to be an easy five-day paddle around the north side of Lake General Carrera, the vast turquoise-watered glacial lake which straddles the border of Argentina and Chile.

Doug Tompkins - millionaire philanthropist and co-founder of the clothing companies North Face and Esprit - shared a two-person kayak with Rick Ridgeway, 66, a veteran mountain climber and environmentalist who made the first American ascent of K2. Yvon Chouinard, 77, founder of clothing company Patagonia, was in a kayak with Jib Ellison, founder and CEO of sustainability consulting firm Blu Skye. With them were river conservation advocate Weston Boyles, 29, and Laurence Alvarez-Roos, 49, their guide and co-owner of Bio Bio Expeditions, an adventure travel outfitter based in Chile and California.