TAIPEI, Taiwan — American rock climber Alex Honnold successfully climbed the Taipei 101 skyscraper on Sunday without using any ropes or safety gear.
Cheers erupted from onlookers at street level as he reached the top of the 508-meter (1,667-foot) tower approximately 90 minutes after beginning his ascent. Dressed in a red short-sleeve shirt, he waved his arms triumphantly over his head.
“The view was just incredible, what a beautiful day,” he remarked afterward. “It was really windy, so I was focused on not falling off the spire. I was trying to maintain my balance. But it was an unbelievable position, such a gorgeous way to see Taipei.”
Honnold, famous for his ropeless climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, ascended one corner of Taipei 101, utilizing small L-shaped projections as footholds. Occasionally, he had to navigate around and ascend large ornamental features that protrude from the tower, pulling himself up with his bare hands.
The building consists of 101 floors, with the most challenging section being the 64 floors of the middle portion — the “bamboo boxes” that give the structure its unique appearance. Divided into eight sections, each segment has eight floors of steep, overhanging climbing, followed by balconies where he took brief rests as he progressed upward.
Honnold’s audacious free solo climb of the iconic tower in Taiwan’s capital was streamed live on Netflix with a 10-second delay. The attempt, initially set for Saturday, was postponed for 24 hours due to rain.
“As I was leaving the ground, it felt intense with so many people watching,” he said. “But honestly, everyone was cheering me on. It made the whole experience feel almost more festive, with so many supportive people around enjoying the moment.”
The climb sparked both excitement and concern regarding the ethical considerations of broadcasting such a high-risk venture live.
While Honnold is not the first climber to scale the skyscraper, he is the first to do so unroped. French climber Alain Robert previously climbed the building on Christmas Day in 2004, marking the grand opening of what was then the tallest building in the world.
