TAIPEI, — American climber Alex Honnold completed a ropeless ascent of Taipei 101 on Sunday, scaling the 508-metre (1,667-foot) skyscraper in about 91–92 minutes and becoming the first known climber to free solo the landmark tower, according to event organizers and media reports.
Honnold, 40, reached the building’s upper spire late morning to loud cheers from spectators gathered around the base and from viewers watching globally via a Netflix live broadcast. The climb was initially scheduled earlier but was postponed due to weather before going ahead under clear skies.
Reuters reported the ascent was conducted with official permission from Taipei 101 management and city officials, an important distinction in a sport where urban climbing is often unauthorized. Netflix framed the event as a high-stakes live production, “Skyscraper Live”—underscoring its push deeper into live, sports-style programming.
Honnold told reporters after the climb that the experience felt “different” from imagining it for years, describing the psychological challenge of staying calm amid the crowd and attention. He is widely known for the 2017 free-solo of Yosemite’s El Capitan, chronicled in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo.
Taipei 101, which opened in 2004 and briefly held the title of the world’s tallest building, remains Taiwan’s tallest structure and one of Asia’s most recognizable skylines. The tower has been climbed before: French “Spiderman” Alain Robert ascended it in 2004 with a safety line during opening-week events, taking nearly four hours in difficult weather, according to historical coverage and climbing media retrospectives.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te publicly congratulated Honnold, with Reuters noting officials welcomed the global spotlight on Taiwan beyond the usual technology and geopolitical headlines.
But the broadcast also triggered an ethical argument: while many hailed the ascent as a landmark achievement, critics questioned the “voyeuristic” dimension of televising a no-ropes climb live, given the margin for fatal error.
