American climber Alex Honnold ascended one of the world’s tallest buildings on Sunday without a rope or protective equipment.
The 40-year-old free solo climber – a term used to describe those who tackle ascents without ropes – took just over 90 minutes to scale the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan, at one time the tallest building in the world.
Cheers erupted from the crowd gathered on the street below as Honnold reached the top of the 508m (1,667ft) tower, which upon completion in 2004 became the first skyscraper to exceed half a kilometre in height.
The climb, originally scheduled for Saturday, had been delayed for 24 hours due to rain.
“What a view, it’s incredible, what a beautiful day,” Honnold said after completing the ascent.
“It was very windy, so I was like, don’t fall off the spire. I was trying to balance nicely. But it was, what an incredible position, what a beautiful way to see Taipei.”
Honnold rose to prominence in 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a full route on Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, a feat that became the denouement of the Oscar-winning 2018 documentary Free Solo.
The Tapei 101 skyscraper, as its name suggests, has 101 floors, with the hardest part being the 64 floors comprising the middle section – the “bamboo boxes” that give the building its signature look.
Divided into eight, each segment of the structure has eight floors of steep, overhanging climbing followed by balconies, where Honnold took short rests as he made his way up.
He climbed up one corner of the building using small L-shaped outcroppings as footholds, and had to periodically manoeuvre around and clamber up the sides of large ornamental structures that jut out from the tower.
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The event, which was broadcast live on Netflix with a 10-second delay, was somewhat unusual for Honnold, whose climbs usually take place in remote areas and without an audience.
“When I was leaving the ground, you’re like, oh it’s kind of intense, there’s so many people watching,” he said.
“But then honestly, they’re all wishing me well. I mean basically it just makes the whole experience feel almost more festive, all these nice people are out supporting me and having a good time.”
Honnold is not the first climber to ascend the skyscraper, but he is the first to do so without a rope. French rock climber Alain Robert scaled the building on Christmas Day in 2004 as part of its grand opening.
