No Rope, No Harness: Alex Honnold Free Solos Taipei 101 In One Of The Boldest Urban Climbs Ever

International

oi-Swastika Sruti

American
rock
climber
Alex
Honnold
has
once
again
stunned
the
world
by
completing
a
free
solo
climb
of
Taipei
101,
one
of
the
tallest
skyscrapers
on
the
planet.
The
508-metre
ascent
was
done
without
any
rope,
harness,
or
safety
equipment,
marking
one
of
the
boldest
urban
climbs
ever
attempted.

The
climb
took
place
in
Taipei,
Taiwan,
and
was
completed
in
just
one
hour
and
31
minutes.
After
reaching
the
top,
Honnold
described
the
experience
in
his
trademark
understated
style,
calling
it
simply,
“Sick.”

A
Skyscraper,
No
Safety
Gear

Taipei
101,
designed
to
resemble
a
bamboo
stalk,
was
once
the
tallest
building
in
the
world
and
remains
a
global
architectural
icon.
Honnold’s
climb
was
originally
planned
for
Saturday
but
had
to
be
postponed
due
to
wet
weather,
which
would
have
made
the
glass
and
steel
surface
extremely
dangerous.

The
ascent
was
livestreamed
on
Netflix,
with
the
platform
later
revealing
that
the
broadcast
would
have
been
delayed
if
anything
had
gone
wrong
during
the
climb.
The
event
drew
massive
attention
online
as
viewers
watched
Honnold
scale
the
tower
floor
by
floor,
relying
solely
on
his
strength,
balance,
and
mental
focus.

Breaking
Records
and
Past
Limits

With
this
climb,
Honnold
shattered
the
previous
best-known
ascent
of
Taipei
101.
French
climber
Alain
Robert,
often
called
“Spiderman,” had
earlier
climbed
the
building
in
about
four
hours,
using
ropes
and
a
harness.
Honnold’s
rope-free
climb
took
less
than
half
that
time.

During
the
ascent,
Honnold
briefly
stopped
near
the
89th
floor,
where
people
inside
the
building
spotted
him
through
the
glass
and
waved.
Unfazed
by
the
cheers
or
the
height,
he
continued
climbing
steadily
toward
the
top.

Support,
Reactions,
and
a
Familiar
Fear

Taiwan’s
Vice
President
Hsiao
Bi-khim
congratulated
Honnold
on
social
media,
admitting
that
watching
the
climb
made
her
nervous.
At
the
summit,
Honnold
was
welcomed
by
his
wife,
who
had
earlier
shared
concerns
about
strong
winds
and
high
temperatures
during
the
climb.

Honnold
is
no
stranger
to
fear-inducing
feats.
He
rose
to
global
fame
after
becoming
the
first
person
to
free
solo
El
Capitan
in
Yosemite
National
Park.
That
climb
was
later
featured
in
the
Oscar-winning
documentary
Free
Solo,
cementing
his
status
as
one
of
the
greatest
climbers
of
all
time.

Pushing
the
Boundaries
Again

Widely
regarded
as
one
of
the
most
accomplished
climbers
in
history,
Honnold
continues
to
push
the
limits
of
what
the
human
body
and
mind
can
achieve.
His
climb
of
Taipei
101
is
not
just
a
personal
milestone
but
a
moment
that
redefines
what
is
possible
in
urban
climbing.

Once
again,
Honnold
has
shown
that
for
him,
extreme
heights
and
impossible
challenges
are
simply
part
of
the
climb.