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Rock Climber Alex Honnold Embraces Life at the Edge of Death

Atheist Alex Honnold ascends a precipitous rock face—without ropes or harnesses—in the desert outside Moab, Utah, and finds meaning by facing his own mortality. The world-renowned free solo climber lives a simple life out of his van as he journeys from climb to climb.

Alex began climbing at the age of 11, when his father first took him to a climbing gym. His father continued to support his passion throughout Alex's adolescence. When his father died suddenly of a heart attack, 19-year-old Alex resolved to commit full time to free solo climbing.

Now, Alex reflects on the impermanence and uncertainty of life and the importance of living fully from moment to moment. "You really have to, like, seize the time you have and, like, do the things you want to do."

Get more information about OWN's groundbreaking 7-part series Belief, including episode discussion guides, journals and videos
Published 10/07/2015
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