Alex Honnold scales skyscraper
On Jan. 25, 2026, 40-year-old Alex Honnold performed a feat that turned heads nationwide. Honnold climbed the entire 1,667 ft Taipei 101 building located in Taipei City, completely unharnessed and seemingly unfazed. This event was cast live on Netflix, with over 6 million viewers, including me.
This is not something we see every day. It is a daring achievement even for the greatest thrill-seekers. Honnold spent nearly his entire life working toward something like this. In addition to over 30 years of elite rock climbing under his belt, he achieved his first unharnessed climb of a six-story office building in San Francisco over a decade ago.
I, for one, can completely understand his motivation, as a thrill seeker myself. There are
countless occasions where I imagine doing things like climbing a building, but I’m hindered by practicality, logistics or lack of strength. However, this is not a problem for Honnold; after years of training for hours upon end, he became fully equipped for challenges like this. With the strength he had gained and much determination, he was able to turn desire into action. His drive to actually follow through became irresistible.
Honnold may be physically prepared for this level of climbing, but he still faces many other factors. The risk is the most shocking aspect of a climb like this, which truly takes an unmatched amount of bravery. With one gust of wind, one slip of a finger, or one bird to throw him off balance, his life could come to an end. Even so, the fact that he is willing to put all of these unpredictable factors behind him shows just how confident he truly is.
As if the risk factors weren't bad enough, he planned to climb to the top all within the span of 2 hours. As I watched the clock run on the side of the screen, I was shocked that he wasn't rushing as much as I thought he would. He would stop along the way to reassess his next choices. Once, he even sat on the edge of the building, dangling his feet and entertaining the press. However, it all seemed to come together when I realized how ahead of schedule he was by the end. Honnold finished the climb of this daunting skyscraper in 1 hour, 31 minutes and 34 seconds.
There were a few reinforcements to secure his comfort along his ascent, including his custom softer-rubber shoes and bag of chalk to keep his hands from slipping. Honnold constantly reaches back for chalk every few minutes, casually hanging off the side of a building with one hand, reiterating his level of expertise.
I believe that Honnold was more than qualified for this stunt due to his background, experience and physical ability. So while no one can ever be certain that something unexpected won’t happen, it is remarkable that he fulfilled his goal while being fully prepared in every aspect he could control. This historic achievement may seem insane to some people, but I consider it inspirational.