American Successfully Climbs Taiwan’s 508 Meter Skyscraper in Staggering Ropeless Ascent (VIDEO)
American climber Alex Honnold has completed a ropeless ascent of Taipei 101, scaling the landmark skyscraper in just over an hour and a half.
The 40-year-old, famous for tackling extreme climbs without safety equipment, reached the summit of the 508-metre tower on Sunday after a 90-minute climb.
Taipei 101, once the tallest building on earth, has 101 storeys and rises more than half a kilometre above the Taiwanese capital.
Crowds gathered below erupted in applause as Honnold reached the top. The climb had originally been planned for Saturday but was postponed due to rain.
“What a view, it’s incredible, what a beautiful day,” Honnold said after finishing the ascent.
“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.”
ALEX HONNOLD AFTER COMPLETING HIS FREE SOLO OF TAIPEI 101: “Sick.”
The 101 story climb took 1 hour and 35 minutes #SkyscraperLIVE pic.twitter.com/TIzeRqiUcM
— Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026
Taipei 101 was completed in 2004 and was the first skyscraper in the world to surpass 500 metres in height.
Its distinctive design features stacked sections often referred to as “bamboo boxes,” with the central portion of the building proving the most technically demanding for the climber.
The structure is divided into eight segments, each containing eight floors of steep overhangs followed by balcony sections.
He used these ledges to pause briefly as he worked his way upward.
awesome! Taipei 101 pic.twitter.com/hOXgQnriMb
— Otto Huang (@OttoHuang120) January 25, 2026
Honnold first gained international attention in 2017 after becoming the first person to free solo a full climbing route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
That achievement was later documented in the Academy Award-winning 2018 film Free Solo.
Although other climbers have previously scaled Taipei 101, Honnold is the first to do so without using a rope.
French climber Alain Robert completed a roped ascent of the building in four hours on Christmas Day in 2004 during its opening celebrations.
Unlike many of his previous climbs, which are typically carried out in remote locations, Sunday’s ascent took place in front of a live audience and was streamed by Netflix with a 10-second broadcast delay.
“When I was leaving the ground, you’re like, oh it’s kind of intense, there’s so many people watching,” Honnold said. “But then honestly, they’re all wishing me well.”
”I mean basically it just makes the whole experience feel almost more festive, all these nice people are out supporting me and having a good time.”
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