Alex Honnold took an hour and a half to climb the 508 meters of Taipei 101; This is the first time the tower has been climbed without protection
An American climbed this Sunday (25th, Saturday night in Brasília, 24th) the tallest building in Taiwanwithout ropes or safety equipment, a feat that drew hundreds of spectators to the base of the tower and many more on a Netflix live stream.
Alex Honnold, 40, has conquered some of the world’s most intimidating rock walls and achieved worldwide fame in 2017 when he climbed the “The Captain” of Yosemite Park, considered the pinnacle of technical difficulty due to its gigantic granite monolith.
This Sunday, he climbed Taipei 101, from 508 meters highwhile a crowd gathered on the ground and applauded him non-stop.
Honnold is the first person to climb Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net, but not the first to scale the building.
Alex Honnold has officially completed a climb of Taipei 101 in Taiwan, which is 1,667 feet tall, without a harness, parachute, or any safety gear.
He finished the ascent in 1 hour and 35 minutes LIVE on Netflix.
— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop)
For 34-year-old Richard Bode described the opportunity to see it as “a once in a lifetime experience”. Another spectator, 24-year-old Benson, called the climb “incredibly brave.”
The challenge titled “Skyscraper Live” was supposed to be broadcast live on Saturday (Friday in Brazil), but was postponed due to bad weather.
“Climbing a skyscraper has been my lifelong dream,” declared Honnold in a promotional video released on Tuesday (20) on Netflix’s Facebook page.
The American took an hour and a half to reach the top, where he was seen with his arms raised, looking down at the audience below.
In 2004, Alain Robert, known as “the French Spider-Man”, was the first to climb Taipei 101, but he did so in wet conditions with the help of safety ropes.
*With information from AFP
