Rock climber Alex Honnold reaches top of Taipei…
American rock climber Alex Honnold ascended the Taipei 101 skyscraper on Sunday without any ropes or protecting tools.
Cheers erupted from a street-level crowd as he reached the top of the spire of the 1,667-foot tower about 90 minutes after he began.
Wearing a pink short-sleeve shirt, he waved his arms back and forth over his head.
US rock climber Alex Honnold reacts upon reaching the top of the Taipei 101 skyscraper building, in Taipei, Taiwan, on January 25, 2026. RITCHIE B TONGO/EPA/Shutterstock
Alex Honnold reached the top of the 1,667-foot tower about 90 minutes after he began. Ann Wang/GWN via Imagn Images
Honnold, identified for his ropeless ascent up Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, climbed up one nook of Taipei 101 utilizing small L-shaped outcroppings as footholds.
Periodically, he had to maneuver around and clamber up the edges of large decorative buildings that jut out from the tower, pulling himself up with his naked palms.
The building has 101 flooring, with the toughest half being the 64 flooring of the center part — the “bamboo boxes” that give the building its signature look.
Divided into eight, each section has eight flooring of steep, overhanging climbing adopted by balconies, where he took short rests as he made his manner upward.
Rock climber Alex Honnold performs a free solo climb of the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan. AP
A building occupant makes use of his cellphone to file US rock climber Alex Honnold climbing the Taipei 101 building. AFP via Getty Images
Honnold’s free solo climb of the enduring building in Taiwan’s capital metropolis was broadcast live on Netflix with a 10-second delay.
The ascent, initially scheduled for Saturday, was delayed for 24 hours due to rain.
People watch rock climber Alex Honnold carry out a free solo climb of the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei. AP
The climb drew both pleasure and concern over the moral implications of making an attempt such a high-risk endeavor on live broadcast.
Honnold isn’t the first climber to ascend the skyscraper, but he’s the first to do so without a rope. French rock climber Alain Robert scaled the building on Christmas Day in 2004 as half of the grand opening of what was then the world’s tallest building.
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