American Rock Climber Alex Honnold Reaches Top Of Taipei 101 Skyscraper Without Ropes

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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — American rock climber Alex Honnold made headlines on Sunday by ascending the Taipei 101 skyscraper without any ropes or protective equipment.

Crowds cheered as Honnold reached the top of the 508-meter tower after a challenging climb that lasted about 90 minutes. Dressed in a red shirt, he celebrated his achievement by waving his arms in the air.

Honnold, famous for his ropeless ascent of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, used small outcroppings as footholds to scale one corner of Taipei 101. He navigated around ornamental structures and relied solely on his bare hands to pull himself up.

Rock climber Alex Honnold, of the U.S., performs a free solo climb of the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan

The challenging climb included maneuvering through the 101 floors of the building, with the most difficult part being the 64 floors of the middle section known as the “bamboo boxes.” Honnold took short rests on balconies as he progressed upward.

People take photos with the iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper in the background in Taipei, Taiwan

Honnold’s daring free solo climb of the iconic building was broadcast live on Netflix with a 10-second delay. The climb, initially planned for Saturday, was postponed due to inclement weather.

The climb sparked a mix of excitement and concern regarding the ethical considerations of attempting such a high-risk feat on live television.

While Honnold is not the first climber to scale the skyscraper, he is the first to do so without any safety equipment. French climber Alain Robert climbed the building on Christmas Day in 2004 using ropes as part of the grand opening.