Alex Honnold climbs to top of Taipei 101 skyscraper sans ropes
TAIPEI, Taiwan — American climber Alex Honnold climbed the Taipei 101 skyscraper on Sunday without any ropes or protective equipment.
Cheers erupted from the crowd as he reached the top of the 508-meter (1,667-foot) tower’s spire, about 90 minutes after his departure. Wearing a short-sleeved red shirt, he waved his arms back and forth above his head.
“It was like, what a view, this is incredible, what a beautiful day,” he said afterward. “It was very windy, so I was like, don’t fall off the spire. I was trying to balance myself. But it was… what an incredible position, what a great way to see Taipei.”
Honnold, known for his ropeless climb up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, climbed a corner of Taipei 101 using small L-shaped outcroppings as footholds. Periodically, he had to maneuver and climb the sides of large ornamental structures that protruded from the tower, pulling himself up with his bare hands.
The building has 101 floors, the most difficult part being the 64 floors of the central part, the “bamboo boxes” which give the building its characteristic appearance. Divided into eight, each segment features eight stories of steep, overhanging climbing, followed by balconies, where he took short breaks while progressing upward.
Honnold’s free solo climb to the Taiwanese capital’s iconic building was streamed live on Netflix with a 10-second delay. The ascent, initially planned for Saturday, was delayed by 24 hours due to rain.
“When I was leaving the floor, you were like, oh, this is pretty intense, there are so many people watching,” he said. “But honestly, they all wish me well. I mean, it basically makes the experience almost more celebratory, all these cool people supporting me and having a good time.”
This ascension has sparked both excitement and concern about the ethical implications of attempting such a risky endeavor live.
Honnold is not the first climber to scale the skyscraper, but he is the first to do so without a rope. French mountaineer Alain Robert scaled the building on Christmas Day 2004 as part of the official inauguration of what was then the tallest building in the world.
