Alex Honnold has completed his free solo climb up the Taipei 101 building. The 40-year-old climber scaled the 101-floor building in Taipei, Taiwan, in roughly 1 hour, 35 minutes, per Netflix.
After standing at the top of the tower, he was seen embracing the moment and taking a selfie.
He displayed a level of confidence and showmanship throughout the climb, accomplishing a feat that he had thought about for several years.
After a few moments at the very top, Honnold scaled down with a harness and rope to embrace his wife.
The Taipei 101 tower officially opened on Dec. 31, 2004, after being constructed between 1999 and 2004. The building was the world’s tallest from its opening until 2009.
Honnold rose to wide fame in 2017 following his historic free solo climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The climb, done without safety equipment, was documented in the film ‘Free Solo.’
Alex Honnold reaches top of Taipei 101
Alex Honnold has reached the 101st floor
Honnold’s adventure is almost complete. He just has to scale 200 feet up the spire. The wind has completely picked up.
The final part of the climb included several more harrowing moments.
Alex Honnold prepares for final section
He successfully scaled the 10th and final ‘dragon’ on the Taipei 101 tower. He had another engaging interaction with a group of fans who were at eye level with him through the window. The next challenge will be steeper.
Honnold was heard on the broadcast stating that he was tired before taking the final stretch. He has been climbing for well over an hour.
Sanni Honnold pays Alex a visit
Alex Honnold was on the 60th floor of his climb up the 101-floor building when he had a visit from his wife, Sanni.
Taipei 101 halfway mark
Alex Honnold appears to have reached the halfway point of the building at the 35-minute mark. He continues to express no fear as he looks down from the building. He used the moment to wave at the crowd, talk with the broadcast team and clean off his shoes to prevent potential slipping.
‘The view is amazing,’ Honnold said, looking down during his break. ‘… Everywhere I look, people are watching.’
WWE superstar Seth Rollins is a member of the Netflix broadcast team.
Alex Honnold conquers a dragon
Honnold conquers the first of 10 ‘dragons’ on the Taipei 101 building.
The ‘dragon’ is a stylized ornament that symbolizes a dragonhead sculpture located on the corners of a particular section of the building.
Alex Honnold stops to take in the view
Honnold has proven not to be afraid to look down below. He stopped and turned around to take a quick break, but also used the moment to take in the scene around him. He does have a live mic on during the climb. As he continued the climb, he could be heard reacting in a joking manner to people who were watching him from out of the window and offered someone a high-five through the window.
Alex Honnold’s climb is underway
Honnold has started his climb up a 1,667-foot building in Taiwan. Just two minutes into the free solo climb, he stopped to reach for more chalk from his bag and waved to the crowd watching below.
How to watch Skyscraper Live with Alex Honnold on Netflix
Here’s all the information you need to know to tune into Honnold’s Skyscraper Live event on Netflix.
- Time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 24
- Stream: Netflix
It is best recommended to start the live viewing on time as it will be broadcasted globally, Netflix said. It’s the best way to ensure viewers experience the full climb.
How tall is Taipei 101?
Taipei 101 is a 101-story, 1,667-foot-tall tower located in the Xinyi District of Taipei, Taiwan. Upon its opening in 2004, the Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world until it was surpassed by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in 2009.
The Taipei building is based on the Chinese number eight, which is considered to be lucky, and is the largest engineering project ever in the history of the Taiwan construction business, according to the Taiwan Tourism Administration. The skyscraper is designed to resemble a bamboo stalk, featuring eight distinct segments symbolizing prosperity.