Alex Honnold, the climber who redefined impossible, recently stood atop Taipei 101, a 508-meter skyscraper piercing the Taiwan skyline. He didn’t use ropes, harnesses, or any safety net – just his hands, feet, and an unwavering focus that has captivated the world.
The ascent, broadcast live with a slight delay as a precaution, took one hour and thirty-one minutes. Millions watched as Honnold moved with a fluid grace that belied the sheer danger of his undertaking. Upon reaching the summit, his first embrace was for his wife, Sanni McCandless, and the mother of his two young children.
This climb wasn’t about the money, Honnold insists, despite reports of a “mid six-figure sum.” He compared the payout to the contracts of Major League Baseball players, calling it “an embarrassingly small amount” in the context of professional sports. He would have undertaken the challenge even without a fee, driven by the intrinsic reward of pushing his limits.
“If there was no TV program and the building gave me permission to go do the thing, I would do the thing because I know I can, and it’d be amazing,” he explained. For Honnold, the climb itself is the ultimate prize, a testament to years of dedicated training and mental fortitude.
From his vantage point high above Taipei, Honnold described the experience as “incredible,” noting the strong winds and the breathtaking view. He acknowledged the intensity of starting the climb with so many eyes watching, but quickly found reassurance in the supportive energy of the crowd below.
“They’re all wishing me well,” he said, describing the atmosphere as “festive.” The collective goodwill seemed to amplify the experience, transforming a solitary challenge into a shared moment of awe and inspiration.
Honnold’s feat stands in stark contrast to the previous ascent of Taipei 101 by Alain Robert, who utilized ropes and a harness, taking four hours to complete the climb. Honnold’s free solo – climbing without any protective equipment – represents a different order of magnitude in terms of risk and skill.
The climb was the latest chapter in a career defined by audacious goals. Honnold first gained global recognition in 2017 with his groundbreaking free solo of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, a climb considered by many to be the most difficult in the world.
He approached the Taipei 101 climb with characteristic calm, admitting on a podcast that he didn’t anticipate it being “that extreme.” He sought a challenge that was “hard enough to be engaging” while remaining within the realm of possibility.
The response to his accomplishment was overwhelmingly positive, with figures like Piers Morgan hailing Honnold as “the greatest athlete in recorded history.” The climb wasn’t just a physical achievement; it was a demonstration of human potential, courage, and the relentless pursuit of the extraordinary.
