American rock climber Alex Honnold scales Taipei 101 without safety gear, video stuns internet: ‘Truly insane historical moment’
At several points, Alex Honnold had to navigate around and over large decorative structures that extend outward from the building.
The climb was streamed live on Netflix with a 10-second delay (Image source: @netflixsports/X) American rock climber Alex Honnold Sunday stunned both spectators and the internet by climbing Taipei 101 without ropes or safety equipment, completing a free solo ascent of the 508-metre (1,667-foot) skyscraper.
In the now-viral video, the crowd gathered below cheered as Honnold began his climb earlier in the day, gripping horizontal metal beams and ascending with only his hands and feet. He also paused midway through the ascent and turned to face the crowd.
The climb was streamed live on Netflix with a 10-second delay. It had originally been scheduled for Saturday but was postponed by 24 hours due to rain.
“It was like what a view, it’s incredible, what a beautiful day,” The Guardian quoted the 40-year-old saying after reaching the top, “It was very windy, so I was like, ‘don’t fall off the spire’. I was trying to balance nicely. But it was, what an incredible position, what a beautiful way to see Taipei.”
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