US rock climber Alex Honnold raises his arms from the top of the Taipei 101 building on 25 January 2026. Photo: I-Hwa Cheng / AFP
Climber Alex Honnold has reached the top of Taipei 101 safely.
He's the first person known to climb the 508 metre (1667 foot) building, one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, without ropes or safety nets.
In one hour and 32 minutes - just two minutes over his own estimation - Honnold finished his free solo climb of the 101 storey building, an eye-boggling spectacle live-streamed by Netflix and watched by a huge crowd of spectators on the streets below.
After completing the climb, he was met on a balcony by his wife Sanni McCandless, who greeted him with an enthusiastic hug and kiss.
Alex Honnold starts his climb of the Taipei 101 building without ropes or safety gear in Taipei on 25 January 2026. Photo: I-Hwa Cheng / AFP
"I thought I was going pretty slow," Honnold said.
His wife responded, "No, you were fast. I was basically having a panic attack the entire time."
Climber Alex Honnold reaches the top of Taipei 101 safely. Photo: CNN
Honnold is best known for climbing the 914m (3000 foot) El Capitan rock face in California's Yosemite National Park without safety gear in 2017.
Weather delay only made climb feel more like an 'adventure' - Honnold
Honnold had originally been scheduled to climb Taipei 101 on Saturday morning local time - but it was delayed by a day due to poor weather.
The inclement weather "kind of makes it feel more like rock climbing", Honnold said at a news conference after the climb. "It really feels like we've been here on a climbing expedition, climbing in the mountains, because of the weather swirling and the rain and the wind and everything."
"It makes the whole experience of coming to Taipei and climbing feel like a grand adventure," he added.
He added that he loved the training process leading up to the ascent.
"I basically just love having a reason to train," he said.
"I was definitely on my A-game performing today, and you can't necessarily bring that to every training session, because sometimes you're just tired or whatever else. But I love the whole process."
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te congratulated Alex Honnold after the American rock climber summited the building, saying the spectacle was "truly nerve-wracking" to watch.
"Congratulations to the fearless Alex on completing this challenge, and thanks as well to everyone behind the scenes who made it possible and helped put Taiwan on the international stage," Lai wrote in a Facebook post today.
Speaking at the media conference after the climb Honnold said he hopes people will draw inspiration to apply in their own lives.
"One of the things that I learned from the film Free Solo over the years is that people often take the message that they need from it," he said, referring to the 2018 documentary of his record-breaking free solo of El Capitan.
"I think that people often find the inspiration that they need to pursue their own challenges or their own goals. It's often the kick they need to do whatever it is that they want to do in their life," he said.
"Often they'll watch something like this and 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. If anything, I hope that that's what people take from it."
Alex Honnold leaves the scene after his planned rope-free climb of Taipei 101 was postponed, on 24 January 2026. Photo: Jimmy Beunardeau / Hans Lucas via AFP
Netflix using Honnold climb as part of break into live programming
Netflix told CNN that the live feed for their Skyscraper Live coverage of the climb was broadcast on a 10 second delay. This means the production control room would have been able to shield viewers if the cameras captured an unsettling sight, they said.
Netflix, which started with DVDs by mail and transformed into an on-demand streaming library, is trying to turn itself into a live TV powerhouse. It billed Skyscraper Live as its first international live event.
It's "going to be an edge-of-your-seat TV experience for sure", Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos told investors on the company's quarterly earnings call earlier this week.
Netflix executives view live programming as a way to retain existing subscribers with something new and captivating, as well as a way to sign up new users.
Sarandos said Netflix has "executed more than 200 live events" so far, from comedy shows to World Wrestling Entertainment matches to award telecasts. Many of the events have been primarily for US audiences, though some have also streamed around the world.
The landmark Taipei 101 building on 24 January. Photo: I-Hwa Cheng / AFP
- CNN
