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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.

3 min readNew DelhiJan 25, 2026 01:52 PM IST

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.”

“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.

Honnold climbed one corner of Taipei 101, using small L-shaped protrusions as footholds. At several points, he had to navigate around and over large decorative structures that extend outward from the building, The Guardian reported.

Watch here:

JUST IN: 40-year-old American climber Alex Honnold has successfully completed his climb up the Taipei 101 building in Taipei, Taiwan.

He reached the top of the tower in 1:31:35.

The building is 1,667 feet tall making it the 11th-tallest building in the world.

Wild. pic.twitter.com/T3qeS61jUx

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 25, 2026

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The video quickly gained traction, prompting a deluge of reactions. “Wow, Alex Honnold is absolutely incredible!!! That climb up Taipei 101 is just mind-blowing, especially at 1,667 feet – seriously, my palms are sweating just thinking about it! I’m so impressed by his skill and determination, what an amazing feat!!” a user wrote.

Another user commented, “I just watched this whole thing live. Truly insane historical moment! Humans are incredible.” “So glad he made it. He is one of the last well-known free soloists who is still alive,” a third user reacted.

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Although Honnold is not the first person to climb the skyscraper, he is the first to do so without a rope. French climber Alain Robert scaled Taipei 101 on Christmas Day in 2004 during its grand opening, when it held the title of the world’s tallest building.