Alex Honnold has achieved a historic feat by free-soloing Taipei 101, one of Asia’s tallest skyscrapers, captivating global audiences with his ropeless ascent. The 40-year-old American climber scaled the 508-meter (1,667-foot) structure in Taiwan’s capital in just 92 minutes on a sunny Sunday morning, shattering the previous record.

Climb Details

Honnold began his ascent at around 9 a.m. local time after a one-day delay due to wet weather, gripping metal beams, ledges, and balconies on the bamboo-inspired steel-and-glass tower. 

He wore a red short-sleeve shirt, a chalk bag for grip, and no ropes, harnesses, or safety gear, true free soloing, relying solely on precision and endurance. At the top, he grinned, waved to cheering crowds below, and later called it “unbelievable,” noting the crowd’s energy made it intense but fun as he relaxed into the rhythm.

Background and Training

Renowned for his 2017 free solo of Yosemite’s 915-meter El Capitan, immortalized in the Oscar-winning Netflix documentary Free Solo, Honnold had eyed Taipei 101 for over a decade. 

The 101-story building, opened in 2004 with offices, a mall, and observatories, offers predictable holds like balconies every eight floors, testing stamina more than sheer technical difficulty. He trained for three months in Taipei, including rope-assisted runs amid sirens and drizzle, with city government approval.

Record Comparison

Honnold’s time of 1 hour, 31 minutes, and 43 seconds more than halved the mark set by French climber Alain Robert, aka “Spiderman,” who topped out in over four hours in 2004 using ropes on the then-world’s tallest building. Robert, recovering from surgery amid wind and rain, praised Honnold’s preparation, saying there’s “not even a one-in-100-million chance” of failure.

Live Broadcast and Reactions

Netflix streamed the event live as Skyscraper Live, with a 10-second delay to cut away if needed, drawing massive viewership alongside a small on-site crowd and expert panel. Bets poured in on platforms like Polymarket for his success and timing. 

While fans erupted in cheers, some climbers criticized it as “voyeuristic” amid recent free-solo deaths, fearing commercialization over safety, though Honnold stayed calm, pausing to wave from balconies.

Training Focus

Honnold prepped for Taipei with urban-specific grips like box-pinch pull-ups for window edges and mental visualization amid city chaos, emphasizing fatigue from repeated moves. El Cap demanded broader rock mastery, thousands of practice laps, and handling route-specific cruxes like dynamic slabs. Climbers widely view El Cap as riskier and harder technically, though Taipei’s visibility amplified its mental toll.

Legacy and Reflections

This marks the biggest urban free solo ever, blending Honnold’s mental prep, visualization, and self-talk, with the building’s forgiving design. Post-climb, he rappelled down with a harness, met his wife, and glowed about the thrill, solidifying his legend while sparking debates on risk in live sports.