Hold Fast

Documentary | 2023 | 55 minutes

Conrad Anker, one of the greatest professional mountain climbers in history, suffered a heart attack on a climb high in the Himalayas in 2016. His friend Alex Wildman is a novice climber and cardiac nurse who recently recovered from stage 4 lymphoma and intense chemotherapy. With new leases on life, Alex and Conrad are hungry to return to a life in the mountains and team up on Yosemite’s El Capitan to put their traumatic brushes with mortality behind them.

Director: Jim Aikman

Producer: Graham Zimmerman

Executive Producers: Tom Brady, Gotham Chopra, Michael Strahan

Story Producer: Cynthia Palormo

Creator & Narrator: Gotham Chopra

Distributed by AT&T, Audience Network

Black and white badge with laurel wreath and text reading 'Official Selection Mountainfilm 2021'.
Map highlighting Graz, Austria, in blue with surrounding country borders shown in black.

< Back

Scenic view of a granite monolith reflected in a calm lake, with trees and grass in the foreground and a clear blue sky.
Two men showing their knuckles with tattoos spelling out "HOLD FAST TO THE DREAM".
A person rock climbing outdoors, wearing a helmet and harness, ascending a vertical rock face against a partly cloudy sky.
Two men outdoors on a cloudy day, one with a red beard and orange scarf, and the other with short hair and a beard, wearing an orange jacket and blue backpack straps.
A man in a plaid hat and blue shirt stands with eyes closed beside a large bell hanging under a wooden shelter in a wooded area.
Two men outdoors in a wooded area, one holding climbing gear, the other with hands in pockets, surrounded by backpacks.
Two men standing outdoors under trees, one with a climbing harness and gear, the other wearing sunglasses and a gray cap, engaged in conversation.
A man in a hospital bed giving a thumbs-up and smiling, with medical equipment behind him.
Young man stands with arms crossed in front of a large climbing route map at a climbing gym, with a framed picture hanging on the wall behind him.
Film crew filming outdoors in a forest, with a man standing in the middle and crew members operating cameras and sound equipment.
A person lying in a hospital bed with an IV in their arm, wearing a red shirt, a face mask, and a red beanie, undergoing medical treatment.
A young man with glasses, wearing a black cap backwards, red headphones and a red sleeveless shirt, taking a selfie indoors. Behind him are cream-colored curtains. Next to him is a sign with handwritten text on a whiteboard, which reads: 'RP 7025, Hd
A middle-aged man in a black shirt pointing at a whiteboard with handwritten notes, standing next to a young man wearing a green T-shirt and a black cap, both inside a medical or clinical facility.
Person with words 'HOLD FAST' written on their fists in green ink, fists clenched and facing forward.
A rock climber scaling a steep cliff face while attached to safety ropes and gear.
A climber in yellow gear ascending a steep, rocky cliff face with safety ropes, with a rocky ground and sparse green trees visible below.
A large granite cliff face with a tree line at its base, partially cloudy sky in the background.
A man smiling while hiking on a mountain summit, displaying tattoos on his knuckles spelling 'HOLD FAST'.
A group of ten people standing together in front of a black van outdoors, smiling and posing for a photo on a sunny day, with trees and a clear blue sky in the background.