US rock climber Alex Honnold raises his arms from the top of the Taipei 101 building on 25 January 2026.
Photo: I-Hwa Cheng / AFP
Climber Alex Honnold has reached the top of Taipei 101 safely.
He’s the first person known to climb the 508 metre (1667 foot) building, one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, without ropes or safety nets.
In one hour and 32 minutes – just two minutes over his own estimation – Honnold finished his free solo climb of the 101 storey building, an eye-boggling spectacle live-streamed by Netflix and watched by a huge crowd of spectators on the streets below.
After completing the climb, he was met on a balcony by his wife Sanni McCandless, who greeted him with an enthusiastic hug and kiss.
Alex Honnold starts his climb of the Taipei 101 building without ropes or safety gear in Taipei on 25 January 2026.
Photo: I-Hwa Cheng / AFP
“I thought I was going pretty slow,” Honnold said.
His wife responded, “No, you were fast. I was basically having a panic attack the entire time.”
Climber Alex Honnold reaches the top of Taipei 101 safely.
Photo: CNN
Honnold is best known for climbing the 914m (3000 foot) 91El Capitan without safety gear in 2017.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te congratulated Alex Honnold after the American rock climber summited Taipei 101 with no ropes and safety net, saying the spectacle was “truly nerve-wracking” to watch.
“Congratulations to the fearless Alex on completing this challenge, and thanks as well to everyone behind the scenes who made it possible and helped put Taiwan on the international stage,” Lai wrote in a Facebook post today.
The landmark Taipei 101 building on 24 January 2026.
Photo: I-Hwa Cheng / AFP
Netflix using Honnold climb as part of break into live programming
Netflix told CNN that the live feed for their Skyscraper Live coverage of the climb was broadcast on a 10 second delay. This means the production control room would have been able to shield viewers if the cameras captured an unsettling sight, they said.
Netflix, which started with DVDs by mail and transformed into an on-demand streaming library, is trying to turn itself into a live TV powerhouse. It billed Skyscraper Live as its first international live event.
It’s “going to be an edge-of-your-seat TV experience for sure”, Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos told investors on the company’s quarterly earnings call earlier this week.
Netflix executives view live programming as a way to retain existing subscribers with something new and captivating, as well as a way to sign up new users.
Sarandos said Netflix has “executed more than 200 live events” so far, from comedy shows to World Wrestling Entertainment matches to award telecasts. Many of the events have been primarily for US audiences, though some have also streamed around the world.
Alex Honnold leaves the scene after his planned rope-free climb of Taipei 101 was postponed 24 January 2026.
Photo: Jimmy Beunardeau / Hans Lucas via AFP
– CNN