Alex Honnold, a world-class American rock climber, succeeded in climbing Taipei 101, the landmark skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, standing 508 meters tall, using free solo climbing—ascending with bare hands and without any ropes or protective equipment.
Wearing a red short-sleeve shirt, Alex Honnold began his climb from the building's base and took only 1 hour 30 minutes to reach the highest spire, amid loud cheers from crowds watching below. At the summit, he waved to celebrate his triumph over personal limits.
This climb was challenging; Honnold relied on precise balance and grip. He used small L-shaped protrusions on the building's edges as footholds and handholds. The most difficult section was the middle part of the 64-story tower, uniquely designed like a "bamboo joint" pattern divided into eight segments of eight floors each, featuring sloped and protruding structures requiring immense arm strength to pull himself up. He rested briefly on balconies between sections before continuing upward.
Originally scheduled for Saturday, the climb was postponed 24 hours due to unfavorable weather and rain. The event was live-streamed on Netflix, delayed by 10 seconds from real time for safety reasons.
However, this event sparked ethical debates online about broadcasting life-threatening missions live, raising concerns about potential impacts on viewers if unexpected accidents occur.
Previously, in 2004, Alain Robert, a French climber nicknamed "Spider-Man," had climbed Taipei 101 during its opening period but used safety ropes. In contrast, Alex Honnold set a record as the first human to conquer the building without any protective gear.
Honnold is globally known from the Oscar-winning documentary "Free Solo," which featured his barehanded climb of El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park, USA.
/AP