Alex Honnold carried out one of the boldest climbing feats in the history of urban ascents, as he scaled Taipei 101 in Taiwan without ropes or safety equipment, in a live broadcast.

The 41-year-old American climber completed the ascent of Taipei’s iconic skyscraper on Saturday afternoon, taking 1 hour, 31 minutes, and 43 seconds to reach the top of the 1,667-foot-tall building (approximately 508 meters) with its 101 floors. The attempt was broadcast live via Netflix as part of the special program Skyscraper Live.

awesome! Taipei 101 pic.twitter.com/hOXgQnriMb

— Otto Huang  (@OttoHuang120) January 25, 2026

New videos circulating on social media show dozens of people inside the skyscraper, standing in halls and looking out the windows in awe as the climber makes his way toward the top. Despite the fatigue and the resistance caused by very strong winds, he looks at them and smiles.

The footage is also striking in capturing his efforts in the final meters before reaching the summit, relying primarily on his legs.

The broadcast had originally been scheduled for the evening of Friday, January 23, but was postponed at the last moment due to adverse weather conditions, as rainfall in Taipei was deemed dangerous for the climb. Ultimately, thousands of viewers around the world tuned in to watch Honnold take on the skyscraper that dominates the skyline of Taiwan’s capital.

These fans filming Alex Honnold through the window.

The shot at the top.

UNBELIEVABLE. #SkyscraperLIVE pic.twitter.com/nMFAcaUJNZ

— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) January 25, 2026

Taipei 101, completed in 2004, features mostly glass façades, balconies near the top, and culminates in a sharp spire. It was the tallest building in the world until 2010, when the record passed to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and today it ranks as the 11th-tallest skyscraper globally.

Alex Honnold became world-famous in 2017 when he completed the first rope-free ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park—an achievement documented in the Academy Award–winning film Free Solo. He has noted that French climber Alain Robert had previously climbed Taipei 101, but with the use of ropes. According to Honnold, ascending it without any assistance makes this endeavor “the greatest urban climb ever accomplished.”

Speaking to the Associated Press late last year, Honnold explained what drives him toward such goals. “When you look at climbing objectives, you’re searching for something unique. Something like El Capitan, which is much larger and more imposing than anything around it,” he said.

“It’s not that extreme,” he had said previously

The climber had been preparing for months, testing his movements on the building and discussing details with Alain Robert on his personal podcast. Despite the apparent danger, he did not believe the ascent would be extreme. “I don’t think it will be that extreme. We’ll see. It’s the perfect balance: difficult enough to keep me alert and obviously an interesting climb,” he had said.

“Awkwardly large” the amount he will receive for the climb

Honnold also admitted that he would have climbed Taipei 101 even without payment. However, since the free solo ascent was broadcast live to a global audience, he revealed that he would be paid an amount he himself described as “awkwardly large.” In an interview with The New York Times, when asked whether it was the largest fee of his career, he replied: “Maybe. It’s less than what my agent wanted. I would have done it for free. If there hadn’t been a TV program and the building had given me permission, I would have done it anyway, because I know I can and it’s incredible. Sitting alone at the top is something unimaginable.”