Alex Honnold has sensationally scaled one of the tallest skyscrapers on Earth with only a bag of chalk — and no ropes or safety gear.
The American rock climber took one hour, 31 minutes and 43 seconds to complete the hair-raising stunt on Saturday evening. On Friday night, just minutes before Skyscraper Live was due to air on Netflix on Friday (January 23), it was announced that the special had been postponed due to wet weather conditions in Taipei.
Fans of 40-year-old Honnold tuned in to watch the professional rock climber take on Taipei 101, the 1,667-foot, 101-story tower that dominates the skyline of Taiwan’s capital.
Built in 2004, Taipei 101 features mostly glass curtain walls, with balconies near the top that taper to a pointed peak, a design inspired by the ridges on a stick of bamboo. It was once the world’s tallest building until the construction of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in 2010.
Honnold is known for his record-breaking ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in 2017, which was captured in the Oscar-winning documentary, Free Solo.
He has noted that Taipei 101 was previously climbed by French urban climber Alain Robert — but with ropes.
Follow along below for live updates on the climb
Key Points
- The moment Honnold says hello to his wife mid-climb - watch
- Alex Honnold says he was paid an ‘embarrassing amount’ for Taipei 101 climb
- Taipei 101: the 1,667-foot, 101-story tower in question
- Honnold's wife Sanni recalls her 'internal experience' while watching husband scale Taipei 101
- How much did Honnold get paid?
Skyscraper Live viewers savage Netflix’s ‘awful’ commentary
06:01 , Ellie MuirWhile Honnold’s climb proved entertaining (and anxiety-inducing) for viewers, some have been sharing their complaints about the commentary aired on the live stream.
“Respectfully, can the commentators take a break and not talk as much? They’re talking over Alex and I want to hear. Thanks!” said one person.
One viewer branded the punditry as “dreadful”, adding: “The commentators absolutely RUINED the experience of watching this live. Their ‘insights’ were pointless and beyond annoying.”
Read more here:
Skyscraper Live viewers hit out at Netflix’s ‘awful’ commentary
Honnold and his wife say 'hi' to their kids at the top of Taipei 101
03:01 , Ellie MuirThe Honnolds waved hello to their two children when they reunited at the top of Taipei 101.
“We should say hi to the kids. Hi Summer! Hi June!” said his wife Sanni McCandless Honnold.
Alex Honnold says he was paid an ‘embarrassing amount’ for Taipei 101 climb
Sunday 25 January 2026 23:59 , Ellie Muir
Alex Honnold says he was paid an ‘embarrassing amount’ for Taipei 101 climb
Does Honnold feel fear?
Sunday 25 January 2026 23:01 , Ellie MuirAs all of us watched Skyscraper Live with sweaty palms covering our eyes, Honnold was remarkably relaxed.
So does he feel fear?
In one memorable scene in Free Solo, Honnold is given an MRI scan and learns that there is little activity in his amygdala in response to intense stimuli — suggesting he would require more stimuli than usual in order to feel fear.
That corresponds with research done by Ken Carter, a clinical psychologist and professor at Emory University, who studies the psychology of thrill-seekers.
He found that their brains don’t tend to produce much cortisol, a chemical involved in the fight or flight response.
Instead, their brains produce dopamine, a pleasurable sensation.
“They’re in a nice area for them where they can focus and concentrate,” Carter told the Wall Street Journal.
Taipei 101: the 1,667-foot, 101-story tower in question
Sunday 25 January 2026 22:01 , Ellie MuirFrom 2004 to 2010, Taipei 101 held the title as the world’s tallest building at 1,667 ft until Burj Khalifa in Dubai was built and took over that title.
The building was named after the number 101, which represents going beyond perfection, and its stacked segments are meant to resemble bamboo stalks.
Inside the building is a 660-metric-ton golden steel sphere, suspended between the 87th–92nd floors, that stabilizes the tower.
Why Alex Honnold's climb was the first of its kind
Sunday 25 January 2026 21:30 , Ellie MuirAlex Honnold isn’t the first person to climb Taipei 101. On Christmas Day 2004, the French climber Alain Robert scaled the 1,667ft tower in four hours.
But there’s a big difference in the American’s approach — he didn’t use any ropes or safety equipment. And, he did it in one hour and 31 minutes.
Honnold's wife Sanni recalls her 'internal experience' while watching husband scale Taipei 101
Sunday 25 January 2026 20:13 , Ellie MuirAlex Honnold’s wife Sanni can breathe a sigh of relief now that his feet are firmly back on the ground.
Speaking at a press conference, she revealed that she would not have traded places with him.
“I was telling someone that when you really love someone, and you think that they might be stressed, you say, ‘I wish I could take their place, I wish I could take their stress away,'” she said. “But in this case, I was like, ‘Thank god I’m not him!'”
She added, “I knew the second he left the ground, it would all just, not fade away, but kind of get quieter, be more of an internal experience, and then just be joyful. So, I was really happy once it just started, there wasn’t any waiting, and he got to do what he wanted to do.”
All about Honnold and his wife
Sunday 25 January 2026 19:30 , Ellie MuirHonnold met his wife, Sanni McCandless Honnold, when he was doing a talk and book signing in Seattle in 2015.
Recalling the moment they met, McCandless said: “I hadn’t known a single thing about him, but after listening to him speak, I decided he was cute and funny. So I left my phone number on the table as I walked away. A few weeks later, we went on our first date.”
Six months later, in June 2016, she quit her job and traveled across Europe with Alex for the summer.
“He was like no one I had ever met: incredibly brave, quietly in need of love and approval, confident, and whip-smart,” she wrote in an essay for Outside magazine, adding that he was also “playful and made me laugh.”
The couple married in 2020 before they welcomed their two daughters: June, born in 2022, and Alice, born in 2024.
How much did Honnold get paid?
Sunday 25 January 2026 18:00 , Ellie MuirDuring an interview, Honnold refused to disclose the exact amount of his paycheck. “It’s an embarrassing amount,” he said.
When pressed further, he added: “Actually, if you put it in the context of mainstream sports, it’s an embarrassingly small amount. You know, Major League Baseball players get like $170 million contracts. Like, someone you haven’t even heard of and that nobody cares about.” and sharpens the context:
When the interviewer floated a $10 million figure, Honnold quickly shot it down. “No!” he said. “So in that case, yeah — an embarrassingly small amount.”
According to The New York Times, two people with direct knowledge of the deal said the climber will be paid in the mid-six figures.
Watch: The moment Honnold says hello to his wife mid-climb
Sunday 25 January 2026 17:30 , Ellie MuirAlex Honnold's next climb
Sunday 25 January 2026 16:50 , Ellie MuirSpeaking to Variety, the climber revealed that his next bucket-list achievement will be in training.
“It’s in a sport cave,” he said. “Tis overhanging little wall where I’ve been going to train for once, twice a week for the last two and a half months to get pumped. I’ve been trying to do one that’s hard for me, and I wasn’t able to do it before I left.”
“So now I’ll try to do it when I go home.”
Netflix viewers savage ‘awful’ commentary during Alex Honnold’s record-breaking free climb
Sunday 25 January 2026 16:19 , Ellie MuirNetflix viewers have eviscerated the “distracting” and “pointless” commentary delivered during the live stream of Alex Honnold’s record-breaking free climb of Taipei 101.
While nervous Skyscraper Live viewers watched the nail-biting stunt on Saturday night, they admitted to being distracted by the punditry delivered by its panel, made up of WWE star Seth Rollins, veteran sports anchor Elle Duncan and professional rock climber and mountaineer Emily Harrington.
The comments section under Netflix’s Instagram posts during the event was filled with pleas from viewers to “have the announcers be quiet” and “stop talking” as they couldn’t hear Honnold speaking into his in-ear headset during the climb, and added little professional insight.
Skyscraper Live viewers hit out at Netflix’s ‘awful’ commentary
In pictures: The record-breaking climb
Sunday 25 January 2026 15:44 , Ellie Muir
Sweaty palms and stressed: Viewers share their reactions watching Honnold's mission
Sunday 25 January 2026 14:30 , Ellie MuirNetflix viewers have admitted to sweating buckets while watching the Skyscraper Live stream. By comparison, Honnold looked remarkably relaxed.
“Watching a guy free climb a building on Netflix. This guy looks like he’s out for a casual walk in the park and I’m on my couch sweating through my shirt,” wrote one viewer online.
“#SkyscrapperLive is the most nerve-racking thing I have ever watched. I can’t breathe. My heart is beating fast!” said another.
One stressed viewer added: “I can't take the tension of this. I am not breathing. I may faint. AND I'M NOT NEAR THIS BUILDING.”
The post-summit selfie
Sunday 25 January 2026 14:00 , Ellie MuirHere’s the selfie taken by Honnold as he stood atop Taipei 101, overlooking the city and mountains in the distance.
No hands...
Sunday 25 January 2026 13:31 , Ellie MuirThe audience gasped when Honnold removed his hands from the building — with only his legs hooked about the building’s structure — just moments before he completed the climb. “No, no, no!” shouted one of the live commentators.
How Honnold has inspired local population in Taiwan
Sunday 25 January 2026 11:40 , Arpan RaiAt his local gym, Taiwanese rock climber Chin Tzu-hsiang said he’s grown up always looking up at the Taipei 101 and wondering if he could climb it. Honnold is a household name among rock climbers even in Taiwan, and Chin said he has students who have only been climbing for a year or two who are excited to watch. Based on watching Honnold in his other climbs, Chin said he trusts him to prepare for the challenge and not to recklessly take risks.
“For Alex Honnold to finish the climb, it’s like he’s helping us fulfill our dream,” Chin said.
Honnold says he hopes his climb inspires people to use their time in "meaningful" ways
Sunday 25 January 2026 11:25 , Arpan RaiTaipei 101 free climber Alex Honnold has said his record-breaking climb will inspire people to use their time better to chase their goals.
“One of the things that I learned from the film ‘Free Solo’ over the years is that people often take the message that they need from it,” he said. Honnold was referring to his earlier record-breaking free solo of El Capitan in Yosemite in 2018.
“I think that people often find the inspiration that they need to pursue their own challenges or their own goals. It’s often the kick they need to do whatever it is that they want to do in their life,” he said.
“Often they’ll watch something like this and it’s a reminder that their time is finite and they should use it in the best way, the most meaningful way that they can. If anything, I hope that that’s what people take from it.”
Why Honnold wanted to push his limits of climbing around the world
Sunday 25 January 2026 11:00 , Arpan RaiKnown for his legendary ropeless ascent up Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, documented in “Free Solo,” Alex Honnold was intent on pushing the limits of climbing around the world.
“When you look at climbing objectives, you look for things that are singular,” Honnold told The Associated Press late last year. “Something like El Capitan where it’s way bigger and way prouder than all the things around it.”
Honnold, who has been training for months, doesn't think his climb will be hard. He’s practiced the moves on the building and spoke with Robert on his climbing podcast.
“I don’t think it’ll be that extreme,” Honnold said. “We’ll see. I think it’s the perfect sweet spot where it’s hard enough to be engaging for me and obviously an interesting climb.”
Alex Honnold reaches top of 1,667ft Taipei tower: 5 things you need to know
Sunday 25 January 2026 09:58 , Arpan Rai- American rock climber Alex Honnold successfully free-soloed Taipei 101, a 1,667-foot skyscraper in Taiwan, without ropes or safety gear.
- The unprecedented climb took Honnold 1 hour, 31 minutes, and 43 seconds to complete on Saturday evening, after being postponed from Friday due to wet weather.
- The daring feat was streamed live on Netflix, showcasing Honnold's ascent of the 101-story tower, which was once the world's tallest building.
- Honnold expressed that the weather delay made the experience feel more like a “grand adventure” and akin to rock climbing in the mountains.
- Following his record-breaking achievement, Honnold stated he hopes his climb will inspire people to use their time meaningfully and pursue their own challenges and goals.
The moment of triumph
Sunday 25 January 2026 08:09 , Arpan RaiNetflix streamed the daredevil stunt live, culminating in the electrifying moment Alex Honnold reached the top of the 1,667ft Taipei 101, once the tallest building in the world.
The climb took Honnold one hour and 35 minutes in total.
ALEX HONNOLD AFTER COMPLETING HIS FREE SOLO OF TAIPEI 101: "Sick."
— Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026
The 101 story climb took 1 hour and 35 minutes #SkyscraperLIVE pic.twitter.com/TIzeRqiUcM
Weather conditions only made climbing Taipei 101 experience a 'grand adventure', says Honnold
Sunday 25 January 2026 06:46 , Arpan RaiUS climber Alex Honnold has taken the delay in climbing the Taiwanese capital skyscrapper in his stride and said it became more exciting.
Honnold was set to climb the Taipei 101 tower on Saturday morning but had to delay it by a day after the city was facing heavy rains weather condition.
The inclement weather “kind of makes it feel more like rock climbing,” Honnold said at a news conference after the climb. “It really feels like we’ve been here on a climbing expedition, climbing in the mountains, because of the weather swirling and the rain and the wind and everything,” he said.
Honnold went on: “It makes the whole experience of coming to Taipei and climbing feel like a grand adventure.”
How Honnold's wife cheered him on as he inched closer to record-breaking ascent
Sunday 25 January 2026 05:16 , Arpan RaiFor Sanni McCandless, Alex Honnold’s wife, the excitement was building up through all parts of the day. But at one point when he was passing by her on his climb, she waved to him.
“I was definitely pretty enlivened by the energy of the crowd. It was truly wild to walk out of the building — you just see so many people,” she said, speaking to reporters after Honnold’s successful climb.
She went on: “I knew the second he left the ground, it would all just kind of — not fade away, but get quieter, be a little bit more of an internal experience, and then just be joyful.”
“I was really happy once it just started. There wasn’t any waiting, and he got to do what he wanted to do,” McCandless said.
Honnold says he hopes his climb inspires people to use their time in "meaningful" ways
Sunday 25 January 2026 05:05 , Arpan RaiTaipei 101 free climber Alex Honnold has said his record-breaking climb will inspire people to use their time better to chase their goals.
“One of the things that I learned from the film ‘Free Solo’ over the years is that people often take the message that they need from it,” he said. Honnold was referring to his earlier record-breaking free solo of El Capitan in Yosemite in 2018.
“I think that people often find the inspiration that they need to pursue their own challenges or their own goals. It’s often the kick they need to do whatever it is that they want to do in their life,” he said.
“Often they’ll watch something like this and it’s a reminder that their time is finite and they should use it in the best way, the most meaningful way that they can. If anything, I hope that that’s what people take from it.”
Honnold celebrates with his wife Sanni
Sunday 25 January 2026 03:34 , Phil ThomasAfter rappeling down from the spire, Alex Honnold celebrated with his wife Sanni McCandless, a life coach, writer and climber.
The 33-year-old met her future husband at a book signing in 2015. They now have two daughters together, June and Alice – and sent them their love from Taipei 101, albeit acknowledging that they were too young to be watching.
Alex Honnold and his wife Sanni after he completed his historic free solo climb of Taipei 101 #SkyscraperLIVE pic.twitter.com/Xm2CHmGWqq
— Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026
King of the world
Sunday 25 January 2026 03:11 , Phil ThomasAlex Honnold stands atop Taipei 101, the 11th tallest building in the world, after his sensational free-climbing ascent.
The moment of triumph
Sunday 25 January 2026 02:56 , Phil ThomasNetflix streamed the daredevil stunt live, culminating in the electrifying moment Alex Honnold reached the top of the 1,667ft Taipei 101, once the tallest building in the world.
ALEX HONNOLD AFTER COMPLETING HIS FREE SOLO OF TAIPEI 101: "Sick."
— Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026
The 101 story climb took 1 hour and 35 minutes #SkyscraperLIVE pic.twitter.com/TIzeRqiUcM
Now to get down again ...
Sunday 25 January 2026 02:51 , Phil ThomasAnd now for the descent. To spare his energy – and our nerves – Alex Honnold is now strapping on a harness so that he can start rappeling down the building he has just scaled without so much as a rope.
Selfie time
Sunday 25 January 2026 02:47 , Phil ThomasStanding atop one of the tallest buildings in the world after climbing up without any ropes or safety equipment, a calm Alex Honnold reaches for his phone and takes a triumphant selfie. Expect that picture to go around the world (once he’s got down again).
He's done it!
Sunday 25 January 2026 02:44 , Phil ThomasAlex Honnold reaches the top of Taipei 101 after an astonishing climb that took him one hour, 31 minutes and 43 seconds.
'He's playing with our emotions at this point'
Sunday 25 January 2026 02:41 , Phil ThomasGasps, shock – and then laughter – as Honnold pauses and leans back on one of the eight big metal rings that provide a sloping circumference below the spire. Honnond said these were one of his biggest concerns.
“He’s playing with our emotions at this point,” says presenter Elle Duncan.
