American rock climber Alex Honnold successfully climbed the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan without any safety equipment, receiving cheers from onlookers below. The 508-meter ascent, initially scheduled for Saturday, was postponed for a day due to rainy weather before being broadcast live on Netflix with a brief delay.
Honnold’s daring feat, reminiscent of his famous ropeless climb up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, involved scaling the iconic tower using only his hands and the structure’s horizontal metal beams. He navigated the building’s unique architectural features, including “bamboo boxes” on the 64th floor, which presented the most challenging section of the climb. Honnold’s strategy included utilizing small outcroppings as footholds and maneuvering around ornamental structures protruding from the tower.
Although other climbers had previously reached the top of Taipei 101, Honnold distinguished himself by completing the climb without a safety rope. French climber Alain Robert had scaled the skyscraper in 2004 using traditional climbing equipment. The live broadcast of Honnold’s ascent sparked a mix of excitement and ethical debate over the risks involved in such high-stakes endeavors.