US climber Alex Honnold yesterday took on Taiwan’s tallest building, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net.
Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-story skyscraper to watch Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix.
Dressed in a red T-shirt and yellow custom-made climbing shoes, Honnold swiftly moved up the southeast face of the glass and steel building.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA
At one point, he stepped onto a platform midway up to wave down at fans and onlookers who were taking photos.
People watching from inside the building could be seen gawking and tapping at the glass, as Honnold moved past the enclosed observation deck on the 89th floor.
After an hour and a half, he made it to the spire at a height of 508m before triumphantly rappelling down to reunite with his wife, Sanni McCandless Honnold.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA
“What a beautiful way to see Taipei,” he told reporters after his mission, which was postponed by a day due to wet weather.
Taipei 101, which dominates the city’s skyline and is a major tourist attraction, was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, a crown currently held by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The climb took place with full support and permission of Taipei 101 and the Taipei City Government.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA
Alex Honnold said it had always been a dream of his to add scaling Taipei 101 to his list of achievements, adding that he had once thought of climbing the structure without permission.
“But then out of respect for the building and respect for all the people on the team who’d allowed me access to look at it, I was like, well obviously I’m not going to poach this, I’m going to respect the people and just see if it ever comes together,” he said.
Netflix executive producer James Smith said it was rare for a building to trust a climber and allow such an event to take place, calling Taipei 101 “a real icon of this country.”
Photo: Bonnie White, Taipei Times
Taipei 101 chairwoman Janet Chia (賈永婕) shared a short clip on Instagram. As Alex Honnold reached the top, she seemed excited, pumping her fist and shouting: “Success.”
“I’m retiring — that was nerve-racking,” she said.
Taiwanese politicians on social media thanked Alex Honnold and Netflix for putting Taiwan in the international spotlight with such a different perspective.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“Congratulations to the brave, fearless Alex for completing the challenge,” President William Lai (賴清德) wrote on Facebook.
“Through Netflix’s live broadcast, the world did not just see Taipei 101 — it also saw the warmth and passion of Taiwanese, and the beautiful hills and scenery of this land,” he added.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) congratulated Alex Honnold on his “historic feat” and thanked the organizers and spectators for their support.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
She said the challenge not only fulfilled Alex Honnold’s dream, but also showcased Taiwan’s “safety, order and prosperity” to the world.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also congratulated Alex Honnold on his “conquering of Taipei 101,” commenting that “true courage knows no limits.”
The American Institute in Taiwan congratulated Alex Honnold’s successful free solo, saying that he not only set a new record but also “introduced many Americans and more global audiences to this iconic landmark in the heart of Taipei.”
Photo: Chiang Ying-ying, AP
Alex Honnold has conquered some of the world’s most intimidating rock faces and rose to global fame in 2017 after he climbed Yosemite’s El Capitan, lauded among his peers as the pinnacle of technical difficulty on the massive granite monolith.
This is not the first time Taipei 101 has been scaled.
In 2004, French climber Alain Robert, dubbed “Spiderman” for his ropeless ascents of some of the world’s highest skyscrapers, climbed the building, but used a safety rope because of the rainy conditions, in a time of four hours.
Photo: Chiang Ying-ying, AP
Speaking in a post-climb interview, Sanni McCandless Honnold responded to those who describe her husband as “crazy” or an “adrenaline junkie” by saying that he takes great joy in his climbs.
“It’s almost like a childlike joy,” she said. “I think that was a really cool part of today, that we all got to just watch him have a lot of fun.”
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