In a feat of remarkable athleticism and daring, American climber Alex Honnold completed a free solo ascent of the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan on Sunday. The climb, performed without ropes or a harness, captivated a global audience livestreamed by Netflix and underscored the growing allure of extreme sports. Honnold’s accomplished ascent of the 508-meter (1,667-foot) tower adds to a celebrated career that includes a historic free solo of el Capitan and was notably documented in the Academy Award-winning film, Free Solo.
American free solo climber Alex Honnold made history Sunday by scaling the Taipei 101 skyscraper, the world’s eleventh-tallest building at 508 meters (1,667 feet). The feat, completed without ropes or a harness, underscores the growing popularity of extreme sports and attracts global attention to Taiwan’s iconic landmark.
People photograph Alex Honnold during his climb. REUTERS/Ann Wang
Honnold, equipped only with specialized climbing shoes, a chalk bag, and his signature red shirt, took just over 90 minutes to complete the ascent. “It’s incredible. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this, imagining it was possible, but actually doing it feels different,” Honnold told reporters after reaching the top.
He is the first person to scale the structure in the free solo style – a particularly dangerous form of climbing that involves no safety equipment, meaning even a small mistake can be fatal.
The climb was livestreamed globally on Netflix. REUTERS/Ann Wang
The event, broadcast live worldwide on Netflix, saw Honnold, born in 1985, fulfill a long-held ambition to climb the Taipei 101, a landmark that dominates the financial district of the Taiwanese capital.
Honnold navigates a metallic structure during his ascent. REUTERS/Ann Wang
The climb was initially scheduled for Saturday morning but postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. Clear skies prevailed 24 hours later, allowing Honnold to begin his ascent.
The initial section of the climb presented a significant challenge, requiring Honnold to overcome the building’s base – a 113-meter (371-foot) sloping steel and glass platform, along with two 4.3-meter (14-foot) metallic structures known as ruyi. He completed this initial phase in under 20 minutes.
He then tackled the longest and most physically demanding segment: the “bamboo boxes,” eight stacked modules between approximately the 27th and 90th floors of the Taipei 101. Over 274 meters (899 feet) of vertical climbing, Honnold demonstrated his skill, ascending amidst cheers from the hundreds of onlookers gathered below.
Honnold climbing the “bamboo boxes.” REUTERS/Ann Wang
Organizers considered the final stage, reaching the tower’s upper section, the most dangerous, as it involved significant overhangs demanding immense upper body strength. From there, Honnold progressed along the rings to the spire, topped with a small metallic sphere suspended in the air, where he paused for a commemorative selfie.
“The biggest challenge was staying calm”
“For me, the biggest challenge was staying calm… As I went up, I felt more and more calm, it was really fun,” Honnold said. He is known for his free solo ascent of El Capitan – a 900-meter (2,950-foot) granite cliff in Yosemite National Park, California – a feat documented in the Oscar-winning 2018 documentary Free Solo.
The organizing team prepared for the worst, implementing a ten-second delay in the livestream to allow for immediate interruption in the event of a fall. Honnold maintained constant communication with his team during the climb, with rescue points established along the building’s facade.
“The whole team today was world-class. For me, it’s easier to perform my best when I trust the team and know they’re giving their best too… It was incredible, a spectacular day,” Honnold concluded, adding another historic achievement to his record nearly a decade after conquering El Capitan.
A panoramic view of Taipei. REUTERS/Ann Wang
