For 92 nerve-wracking minutes on a sunny Sunday morning in Taipei, thousands of spectators craned their necks skyward while millions worldwide watched in awe as renowned climber Alex Honnold completed a daring free solo ascent of one of the tallest skyscrapers on Earth.
At 10:43 a.m. local time, Honnold reached the top of the metal spire of Taipei 101, standing at 508 meters (1,667 feet), and waved to cheering fans below, grinning at what will surely be remembered as an iconic moment in climbing history.
Honnold is the first known climber to free solo Taipei 101, scaling the building without ropes, nets, or safety equipment—relying only on his bare hands and a chalk bag for grip.
“It’s amazing, I’m sure I’ll be glowing for days,” Honnold said at a post-climb news conference. “You spend so long imagining it’s possible, but actually doing it always feels different.”
Honnold, 40, has been a prominent figure in the climbing world for nearly two decades, rising to fame in his early 20s for free soloing challenging rock routes. He became a household name after his 2017 free solo climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, documented in the award-winning film Free Solo.
Despite eyeing Taipei 101 for over a decade, the climb only materialized after Netflix proposed live-streaming the ascent. Honnold described it as “the biggest urban free solo climb ever.”
Originally scheduled for Saturday, the climb was postponed due to bad weather. Sunday’s clear skies and calm winds made the attempt possible. Honnold said the biggest personal challenge was staying calm under the pressure of a massive live audience, though he admitted that once climbing, he relaxed and enjoyed the experience.
French climber Alain Robert had previously climbed Taipei 101 in 2004, but with ropes and in harsher conditions, making the climb last four hours compared to Honnold’s 90 minutes.
While the climb featured some technically challenging moves near the top, Honnold advanced quickly, pausing occasionally on balconies to wave at the crowd. His wife, Sanni McCandless, watched anxiously from inside the building, later meeting him at a balcony near the spire in a relieved embrace.
Taipei 101, which opened in 2004 as the tallest building in the world, remains a towering spectacle in the city despite being surpassed globally by taller skyscrapers, including Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and New York’s One World Trade Center.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te congratulated Honnold on the “truly nerve-wracking” feat, expressing hope that it would showcase the warmth of the Taiwanese people and the island’s scenic beauty.
Reflecting on his climb, Honnold said he hoped it would inspire others to pursue their own challenges. “It’s so great. What a nice day,” he said, summarizing the historic achievement with characteristic understatement.
