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Skyscraper Live: Alex Honnold’s Historic Taipei 101 Climb Without Safety Gear

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<p>Who knew <strong></strong>Spider-Man<strong> </strong>could exist in real life? Broadcast live on <strong>Netflix</strong> as<strong><em> Skyscraper Live</em></strong>, free solo climber <strong>Alex Honnold </strong>made history by becoming the first person to scale <strong>Taipei 101</strong> without any safety gear. Standing at a staggering<strong> 1,667 feet</strong>, the skyscraper has not been climbed since 2004, and it took four hours with a safety rope. Honnold, however, completed the ascent in just 1 hour and 31 minutes. <em>Skyscraper Live</em> immediately jumped to the number one spot on the Top 10 shows on <strong>Netflix Philippines</strong>.<strong></strong></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769752748575Alex Honnold BEST MOMENTS Free Soloing Taipei 101 _ SkyscraperLIVE _ Netflix (1).png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Screenshot from Netflix Sports via YouTube</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Alex Honnold first gained attention because of his Oscar-winning film<strong><em> Free Solo,</em></strong> which featured him preparing and climbing 3,000-foot<strong> El Capitan </strong>in Yosemite National Park. <strong></strong>El Capitan is widely known as the epicenter of rock climbing, as it&#x27;s a route extremely unforgiving, and even elite climbers rely on ropes for safety. </p><p>However, Honnold made the crazy decision to complete it all alone, without ropes or protective gear, which earned him the title of being the only human to ever successfully free solo (no ropes) El Capitan.</p><p>Growing up in <strong>California</strong>, he spent much of his youth climbing in <strong>Yosemite</strong> and<strong> Joshua Tree,</strong> which were grounds that developed his passion for free solo climbing and his unusually calm relationship with fear. That mental discipline was put to the test in Taipei on January 25, 2026, where the stakes extended far beyond. As Honnold ascended Taipei 101, crowds gathered below while people inside the building itself were pressed against glass windows in order to watch the climb unfold in real time. </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769752796175Alex Honnold BEST MOMENTS Free Soloing Taipei 101 _ SkyscraperLIVE _ Netflix (3).png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Screenshot from Netflix Sports via YouTube<br/><br/></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769752824415Alex Honnold BEST MOMENTS Free Soloing Taipei 101 _ SkyscraperLIVE _ Netflix (4).png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Screenshot from Netflix Sports via YouTube</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Not to mention, this climb was broadcast on Netflix, and several news outlets were attempting to record the ascent, too. According to <strong>ESPN,</strong> Honnold said, &quot;When I was leaving the ground, you&#x27;re like, oh, it&#x27;s kind of intense, there are so many people watching. But then, honestly, they&#x27;re all wishing me well. I mean, basically, it just makes the whole experience feel almost more festive, all these nice people are out supporting me and having a good time.&quot;</p><p>Aside from its evident daunting height and being the tallest building in <strong>Taiwan</strong>, Taipei 101 presents a uniquely difficult challenge for a free solo climb because its design is not meant for climbing at all. The tower’s exterior is made up of tiered segments, called <strong></strong>“<strong>bamboo boxes</strong>,<strong></strong>”<strong> </strong>which span 64 floors in the building’s middle section. Each segment is slightly stepped and overhanging, creating a staggered pattern rather than a straight vertical rise.</p><p>But the unbothered climber even got to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DT_PjvAEnOT/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">crack jokes while free soloing a skyscraper</a>. He said as he paused and looked at the people watching him from the building&#x27;s windows: “I was gonna give him a high five, but he won’t high five me. They’re too busy taking pictures. Kids these days on their phones.” </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769752843614Alex Honnold BEST MOMENTS Free Soloing Taipei 101 _ SkyscraperLIVE _ Netflix (6).png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Screenshot from Netflix Sports via YouTube<br/><br/></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769752862675Alex Honnold BEST MOMENTS Free Soloing Taipei 101 _ SkyscraperLIVE _ Netflix (7).png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Screenshot from Netflix Sports via YouTube</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Honnold, 40, spent weeks preparing, even practicing sections of Taipei 101 with ropes “two or three” times to familiarize himself with the tower’s construction. Before the event, he even took part in a traditional Taiwanese blessing ceremony to pray for a safe climb, and on the day of the climb, he began at 9:00 AM local time. The climb aired on a 10-second Netflix delay as a precaution, and Honnold reached the spire in 1 hour and 31 minutes, to which he celebrated with a simple, jubilant “Sick”.</p><p>As a closing to this adventure of his, Honnold is asked by Netflix what he hopes people take from this accomplishment of his, to which he responds, “It’s a reminder that their time is finite and they should use it in the best way, the most meaningful way that they can. And so I think, you know, if anything, I hope that that’s what people take from it.” For viewers around the world, Honnold invites people to embrace their own challenges and push past hesitation, as his recent climb of Taipei 101 is proof that the impossible can be possible.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769752881752Alex Honnold BEST MOMENTS Free Soloing Taipei 101 _ SkyscraperLIVE _ Netflix (8).png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Screenshot from Netflix Sports via YouTube</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769786582931620826449_18580303006035379_3794152063273757524_n.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @alexhonnold @netflix</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769786817053620876881_18580302994035379_656671188353417866_n.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @alexhonnold @netflix</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Lead photos from <strong>@netflix</strong></p>

<p>Who knew Spider-Man could exist in real life? Alex Honnold made history by becoming the first person to free solo climb Taipei 101, scaling the iconic skyscraper without any safety gear, broadcast on Netflix as "Skyscraper Live."</p>

Who knew Spider-Man could exist in real life? Alex Honnold made history by becoming the first person to free solo climb Taipei 101, scaling the iconic skyscraper without any safety gear, broadcast on Netflix as "Skyscraper Live."

The View from the Top: Alex Honnold’s Historic Taipei 101 Climb Without Safety Gear

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The View from the Top: Alex Honnold’s Historic Taipei 101 Climb Without Safety Gear

Francesca Adrianna Moya Bernardo

Published Jan 29, 2026 11:30 PM PHT

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Updated Feb 04, 2026 09:48 AM PHT

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Skyscraper Live

Alex Honnold

Taipei 101

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