TAIPEI, Jan 25 — American rock climber Alex Honnold completed a ropeless climb of Taipei 101 today, reaching the top of the 508-metre tower without any protective equipment.
The climb, which was broadcast live on Netflix, drew cheers from crowds gathered at street level as Honnold emerged onto the spire roughly one hour and 31 minutes after starting the ascent.
The climber, famed for his free-solo ascent of El Capitan, scaled one corner of the building using small L-shaped protrusions, at times hauling himself around large ornamental features with only his hands and feet.
The most demanding section came midway up the tower, where 64 floors of steep, overhanging “bamboo box” segments forced him to alternate between sustained climbing and brief rests on narrow balconies.
The climb, initially slated for Saturday, was postponed by a day due to rain.
Taipei 101 held the title of the world’s tallest building from 2004 to 2010, before being overtaken by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
While others have climbed the skyscraper before, including French climber Alain Robert in 2004, Honnold is the first known climber to complete the ascent without a rope.
