On Sunday in Taiwan’s capital, elite American climber Alex Honnold accomplished a daring ascent of the Taipei 101 skyscraper, undertaking the climb without ropes or protective equipment. Approximately 90 minutes after the start of his attempt, a crowd gathered on the street level expressed enthusiastic cheers as Honnold reached the summit of the 508-meter (1,667-foot) tower’s spire.
Dressed in a red short-sleeved shirt, Honnold celebrated by waving his arms overhead, acknowledging those below. His climb followed a route along one corner of the building, using small L-shaped projections as footholds. Throughout the ascent, he occasionally maneuvered around large ornamental features jutting from the structure, relying solely on his bare hands to pull himself upward.
Taipei 101 includes 101 floors, with a particularly challenging middle section consisting of the "bamboo boxes," a defining architectural design. This segment is subdivided into eight portions, each encompassing eight floors characterized by steep, overhanging climbs succeeded by balconies. Honnold used these balconies as brief resting points as he progressed higher.
The event was livestreamed on Netflix with a ten-second delay, enabling global viewing. Originally planned for Saturday, the climb was rescheduled for Sunday due to unfavorable weather conditions involving rain.
Honnold’s ascent has sparked both enthusiasm and concerns regarding the ethics of broadcasting such a high-risk activity live. While he is not the first climber to reach the apex of Taipei 101, he is the pioneer in doing so without any rope safety. Previously, French climber Alain Robert scaled the building on Christmas Day in 2004 during its grand opening, but utilized safety gear during his climb.