Alex Honnold climbs Taipei 101 without ropes, internet stunned: ‘Casually climbing the 11th tallest building'

Alex Honnold scales 508-meter Taipei 101. (Image credit: X)

A video of American rock climber Honnold has stunned the onlookers on social media on Sunday, following scaling Taipei 101 without ropes or safety equipment, completing a free solo ascent of the 508-meter skyscraper.

In a clip, a crowd gathered below the skyscraper is seen gripping metal beams and cheering as Honnald started his clip earlier in the day, gripping horizontal metal beams and climbing solely with his hands and feet before briefly pausing mid-way to acknowledge the crowd.

The heroic climb was streamed on Netflix with a 10-second delay due to rain, which caused a postponement on Sunday.

“It was like what a view, it’s incredible, what a beautiful day,” Holland told The Guardian after reaching the top, “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.”

“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.

According to The Guardian, the 40-year-old climbed the one corner of Taipei 101, using a tiny L-shaped foothold, weaving around large ornamental structures jutting outward.

The video quacking went viral, drawing waves of responses.

JUST IN: 40-year-old American climber Alex Honnold has successfully completed his climb up the Taipei 101 building in Taipei, Taiwan.

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He reached the top of the tower in 1:31:35. The building is 1,667 feet tall making it the 11th-tallest building in the world. Wild. pic.twitter.com/T3qeS61jUx — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 25, 2026

One X user wrote, “Casually climbing the 11th tallest building in the world like it’s nothing. Insane.” Another user commented, “Alex Honnold proved today that fear only happens in the mind. Scaling the 1667-foot-high Taipei 101 in a mere 91 minutes without any rope is incredible.” A third user wrote, “This dude is insanely talented and wildly unique/impressive. Glad he’s safe!!! But stop.”

Another said, “Wow, Alex Honnold is absolutely incredible!!! That climb up Taipei 101 is just mind-blowing, especially at 1,667 feet – seriously, my palms are sweating just thinking about it! I’m so impressed by his skill and determination, what an amazing feat!!”