Rock Climber Alex Honnold Climbs Taiwan Tower

Taipei, Taiwan —(Map)

On January 25, rock climber Alex Honnold became the first person to climb Taiwan’s Taipei 101 skyscraper without using any safety equipment. The 1,667-foot (508-meter) climb took the American about an hour and a half to complete. The event was shown live on the internet.

Alex Honnold is famous for his “free solo” rock climbing. “Solo” means he climbs alone. “Free” means he doesn’t use ropes or other equipment to protect himself. He depends only on his own strength and skill. He also uses chalk on his hands to help him grip the rock or other surfaces.

Mr. Honnold has made many challenging climbs in natural areas. In 2017, he made a free solo climb of a huge rock called El Capitan in California’s Yosemite National Park. It was an extremely difficult job. He had to climb up a nearly vertical (straight up and down) rock face for 3,000 feet (915 meters).

It took him about four hours, and the climb made him famous. A movie was later made about the climb, and the movie won an Oscar (Academy Award).

Mr. Honnold has long dreamed of climbing Taipei 101. The skyscraper got its name because it’s located in Taipei, Taiwan, and it has 101 floors. From 2004 until 2010, the building was the tallest building in the world. Now it’s the 11th tallest.

French climber Alain Robert, sometimes called “Spider-Man”, climbed Taipei 101 in 2004, when it first opened. But he climbed it with ropes and safety equipment.

Mr. Honnold is the first person to climb the building without ropes.

Mr. Honnold had never climbed a building before. Because it’s made of glass and metal, climbing Taipei 101 is very different from climbing El Capitan. He made his climb along a corner of the building, starting at the bottom (above).

Mr. Honnold had never climbed a building before. Climbing Taipei 101 is very different from climbing El Capitan. It’s made of glass and metal, not natural rock. And it’s in the middle of a city, surrounded by lots of people. Mr. Honnold usually climbs in quiet natural settings where he can concentrate.

Also, Mr. Honnold was being filmed. The streaming service Netflix was showing his climb on live TV.

Mr. Honnold used the building’s metal structures to grab onto (above). At first, crowds could easily spot his red shirt, black pants, and yellow shoes. But as he kept climbing, he appeared smaller and smaller from the ground.

Mr. Honnold made his climb along a corner of the building, starting at the bottom. He used the building’s metal structures to grab onto. At first, crowds could easily spot his red shirt, black pants, and yellow shoes. But as he kept climbing, he appeared smaller and smaller from the ground.

At times, people in the office building waved to him. At other times, Mr. Honnold spoke through a microphone to the audience watching on Netflix.

When Mr. Honnold finally reached the top – after about 91 minutes, he waved his arms to the people below. Many of those watching the climb began cheering. “What a beautiful way to see Taipei,” he said later.

He stopped a few times to rest or wave, but kept climbing until he reached the top. When he finally got there – after about 91 minutes, he waved his arms to the people below. Many of those watching the climb began cheering.

“What a beautiful way to see Taipei,” Mr. Honnold said later. “It’s amazing. I’m sure I’ll be glowing for days.”

Mr. Honnold hopes his climb will remind people to use their time well. “If you work really hard,” he said, “You can do hard things.”