{"id":431496,"date":"2026-01-25T03:03:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T03:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/431496\/"},"modified":"2026-01-25T03:03:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T03:03:11","slug":"netflixs-skyscraper-live-updates-alex-honnold-passes-60th-floor-in-bid-to-scale-1667ft-tower-without-ropes-or-safety-gear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/431496\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix\u2019s Skyscraper Live updates: Alex Honnold passes 60th floor in bid to scale 1,667ft tower without ropes or safety gear"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Alex Honnold reveals Skyscraper Live Taipei 101 climb is postponedYour support helps us to tell the story<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iCTyfe\">From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it&#8217;s investigating the financials of Elon Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, &#8216;The A Word&#8217;, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iCTyfe\">At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iCTyfe\">The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n<p>Your support makes all the difference.Read more<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/tv\/news\/alex-honnold-taipei-skyscraper-netflix-pay-b2906694.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alex Honnold\u2019s<\/a> attempt to scale one of the tallest skyscrapers on Earth without ropes or safety gear is now under way, after being delayed by 24 hours.<\/p>\n<p>The American rock climber began the hair-raising stunt on Saturday evening. On Friday night, just minutes before Skyscraper Live was due to air on Netflix on Friday (January 23), it was announced that the special had been postponed due to wet weather conditions in Taipei.<\/p>\n<p>Fans of 40-year-old Honnold tuned in to watch the professional rock climber take on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/asia\/mile-high-skyscraper-set-to-be-world-s-tallest-and-twice-as-tall-as-the-burj-khalifa-a6858061.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Taipei 101<\/a>, the 1,667-foot, 101-story tower that dominates the skyline of Taiwan\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n<p>Built in 2004, Taipei 101 features mostly glass curtain walls, with balconies near the top that taper to a pointed peak. It was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/asia\/mile-high-skyscraper-set-to-be-world-s-tallest-and-twice-as-tall-as-the-burj-khalifa-a6858061.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">once the world\u2019s tallest building<\/a> until the construction of Dubai\u2019s Burj Khalifa in 2010.<\/p>\n<p>Honnold is known for his record-breaking ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in 2017, which was captured in the Oscar-winning documentary, Free Solo.<\/p>\n<p>He has noted that Taipei 101 was previously climbed by French urban climber Alain Robert \u2014 but with ropes. Honnold believes that reaching the top unaided would make it \u201cthe biggest urban free solo ever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Follow along below for live updates on the climb<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#post-2324560\" class=\"sc-1wyow5i-1 eSNdzi\"><\/a>&#8216;Kind of tired&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know what, I\u2019m kind of tired.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Honnold gives an understated quip as he continues to negotiate the overhangs ahead of him before reaching the spire at the top of the tower, which is now in sight just a few hundred feet away.<\/p>\n<p>The wind is now visibly blowing his T-shirt.<\/p>\n<p>Phil Thomas25 January 2026 02:35<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#post-2324557\" class=\"sc-1wyow5i-1 eSNdzi\"><\/a>Here come the overhangs<\/p>\n<p>A big round of applause and cheering as Honnold glides through his first overhang, a terrifying test of his upper body strength. He has several more to go now that he\u2019s past the \u201cbamboo boxes\u201d that made up most of the climb so far.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Climber-Alex-Honnold-free-soloing-Taipei-101-Skyscraper-6cyikema.jpeg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Another dragon bested further down the tower\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/>Another dragon bested further down the tower (REUTERS)<\/p>\n<p>Phil Thomas25 January 2026 02:31<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#post-2324556\" class=\"sc-1wyow5i-1 eSNdzi\"><\/a>&#8216;I&#8217;m so psyched&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Honnold is in good spirits as he sits for a quick rest: \u201cI don\u2019t know if you guys can hear me, I can\u2019t hear you right now, perhaps I\u2019ve climbed too high. But I\u2019m so psyched.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Making contact again with the team below he says: \u201cI\u2019m good, I\u2019m tired for sure. &#8230; It\u2019s tiring, it\u2019s a big building. Honestly I\u2019ve just been trying to pace myself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s quite windy &#8230; I\u2019m just trying not to get buffeted and taking my time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s past the 89th floor and has the tower in his sights.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll try and pace myself and have a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Phil Thomas25 January 2026 02:26<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#post-2324552\" class=\"sc-1wyow5i-1 eSNdzi\"><\/a>The hardest discipline is a mental one<\/p>\n<p>The hardest discipline in climbing, according to Honnold? Letting your mind arrive before your body does, meaning you lose your concentration.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s according to the Netflix commentators, who are telling us that the hardest part of the climb is behind him. <\/p>\n<p>Honnold is pausing from time to time to get some chalk on to his hands. He\u2019s not been climbing for one hour and eight minutes &#8230;.<\/p>\n<p>Phil Thomas25 January 2026 02:21<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#post-2324549\" class=\"sc-1wyow5i-1 eSNdzi\"><\/a>Cleanup time<\/p>\n<p>A quick break so that Honnold can clean his shoes and his fingers. The building is dirty because of the residue of a fireworks display, the Netflix presenters tell us.<\/p>\n<p>As the daring climber resumes his ascent he comes faces to face with some sign-waving fans behind the windows on the Google floor. He gives them a good-natured wave and smile \u2013 and then presses on with the task at hand.<\/p>\n<p>Phil Thomas25 January 2026 02:12<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#post-2324546\" class=\"sc-1wyow5i-1 eSNdzi\"><\/a>Honnold making good progress (and putting his heart into it)<\/p>\n<p>Honnold has been going for just over 50 minutes, without much of a break except for a quick casual chat with the presenters earlier. His heart rate is about 166 according to Netflix\u2019s onscreen graphic, pretty normal for someone who is exercising, and he appears to be past the halfway mark.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/TAIWAN-CLIMBING-HONNOLD-tg270kqa.jpeg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/>(AFP via Getty Images)<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/TAIWAN-CLIMBING-HONNOLD-p57d1gh8.jpeg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/>(AFP via Getty Images)<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/TAIWAN-CLIMBING-HONNOLD-zxjjsz67.jpeg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/>(AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p>Phil Thomas25 January 2026 02:07<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#post-2324539\" class=\"sc-1wyow5i-1 eSNdzi\"><\/a>&#8216;The view&#8217;s amazing&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe view\u2019s amazing,\u201d says our intrepid hero as he pauses to look down and chat after scaling the fourth \u201cdragon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLook at Taipei, it\u2019s so cool.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(\u201dCan you take a step back, you\u2019re making me nervous,\u201d says one of the commentators. Honnold chuckles and obliges.)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Climber-Alex-Honnold-free-soloing-Taipei-101-Skyscraper-49kv8vb0.jpeg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Honnold conquers a dragon\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/>Honnold conquers a dragon (REUTERS)<\/p>\n<p>Phil Thomas25 January 2026 01:50<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#post-2324538\" class=\"sc-1wyow5i-1 eSNdzi\"><\/a>Honnold: &#8216;Wholesome, endearing, optimistic&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Honnold is \u201cwholesome\u201d and \u201cendearing,\u201d the Netflix commentary team are telling us \u2013\u00a0also \u201coptimistic,\u201d which is just as well given the scale of the challenge he has set himself.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s now negotiating his fourth \u201cdragon\u201d \u2013\u00a0the 15ft dragon head features on the corners of the massive building.<\/p>\n<p>Phil Thomas25 January 2026 01:48<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#post-2324536\" class=\"sc-1wyow5i-1 eSNdzi\"><\/a>First of its kind<\/p>\n<p>Alex Honnold isn\u2019t the first person to climb Taipei 101. On Christmas Day 2004 the French climber Alain Robert scaled the 1,667ft tower in four hours.<\/p>\n<p>But there\u2019s a big difference in the American\u2019s approach \u2013\u00a0he isn\u2019t using any ropes or safety equipment. So this bid is a first of its kind.<\/p>\n<p>Taipei 101 was ranked as the tallest building in the world from its opening in 2004 until it was supplanted by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2009.<\/p>\n<p>Phil Thomas25 January 2026 01:46<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#post-2324532\" class=\"sc-1wyow5i-1 eSNdzi\"><\/a>&#8216;Taiwan loves Alex&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Hundreds of fans turned out in the Taiwanese capital to witness the spine-tingling stunt, with a possible audience of millions around the world watching on Netflix. One group of fans at the tower were holding a homemade sign reading \u201cTaiwan loves Alex.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Climber-Alex-Honnold-free-soloing-Taipei-101-Skyscraper-jg40p706.jpeg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"craper\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/>craper (REUTERS)<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/TAIWAN-LIFESTYLE-CLIMBING-44whb2jx.jpeg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/>(AFP via Getty Images)<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Climber-Alex-Honnold-free-soloing-Taipei-101-Skyscraper-4v16hq2s.jpeg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/>(REUTERS)<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Climber-Alex-Honnold-free-soloing-Taipei-101-Skyscraper-h5v4674d.jpeg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/>(REUTERS)<\/p>\n<p>Phil Thomas25 January 2026 01:34<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alex Honnold reveals Skyscraper Live Taipei 101 climb is postponedYour support helps us to tell the story From&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":431497,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[76,354,355,49,48,356,75],"class_list":["post-431496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=431496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/431497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=431496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=431496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=431496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}