National Geographic Channel Announces Its Next Global Live Event: The Ascent Of Alex Honnold To The Top Of One Of The World's Highest Skyscrapers

The World's Most Famous Extreme Climber Takes the Next Ultimate Challenge in Live Climb with Alex Honnold,Airing This Fall

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following the recent Emmy nomination for National Geographic Channel's (NGC's) exclusive, headline-grabbing live event, Space Dive with Felix Baumgartner, NGC President Howard T. Owens announced today the network's next awe-inspiring stunt: a live telecast of acclaimed rock climbing superstar Alex Honnold's attempt to scale one of the tallest buildings in the world. The two-hour unprecedented television event, Live Climb with Alex Honnold, is produced by Sender Films and will air live this fall globally on NGC.

Having redefined what is possible in rock climbing, Honnold brings his daring free soloing skills to a completely new realm, with an audacious plan to be the first person to climb one of the tallest buildings in the world (for safety reasons, the building will remain confidential until closer to the climb).

His remarkable climb will be shown in real time, with a team of expert vertical cameramen hanging in position at various points along the side of the building to film him up close as he scales the soaring tower of glass and steel, capturing every moment of drama along the way.

"I've always loved climbing in all forms and this is an amazing opportunity to push my own climbing into interesting new terrain. I've admired the aesthetics of sky scrapers my whole life; it's great to be able to climb one," said Honnold.

Honnold is considered the greatest free solo climber on the planet, climbing massive rock walls without a rope and with zero chance of survival if he falls. The unassuming 27-year-old garnered international fame for his 2008 free solo ascent of Half Dome — a sheer 2,000-foot granite face in Yosemite National Park. Since then, his climbs have steadily increased in difficulty and scope, putting him in an elite class of modern day adventurers.

"When Alex brought us this incredible idea, it struck at the very heart of what a National Geographic global television event should be," noted Owens.  "Alex is the world's premiere free-climber, and we are excited to celebrate his adventurous spirit as he tackles his next challenge."

The live telecast will be filled out with pre-recorded segments and interviews that tell the amazing story of Alex Honnold's life, traveling the world and accomplishing his daring feats; delve into the brain science behind Honnold's unique ability to keep his cool in the face of danger; and follow his preparations for the wildest building climb ever attempted.

About Alex:
Alexander J. Honnold (age 27) is an American rock climber best known for his free solo ascents of big walls. He is one of the world's most accomplished climbers and the holder of numerous world records for climbing. Named "Adventurer of the Year" by National Geographic in 2010, he is the only person to have ever solo-climbed the Yosemite Triple crown: Mt. Watkins, The Nose (El Capitan) and The Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. The climb — about 6,500 feet out of the total 7,000 feet — was made at the world-record pace of 18 hours, 50 minutes and mostly without harness, ropes or gear. His uncanny ability to free solo climb the toughest mountain walls and faces in the world has set him apart from the rest of the climbing field. He has been profiled by "60 Minutes," CNN, The New York Times, among others.

About Sender Films
Sender Films is a leading producer of climbing/mountaineering and outdoor adventure films. We balance action with storytelling, passion with humor, and spectacular footage with compelling characters to create critically acclaimed films and TV programs. With each new production, we aim to inspire, enlighten and entertain.

National Geographic Channel
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in 85 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 38 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.  

SOURCE National Geographic Channel