Famed climber Alex Honnold is taking on a new challenge with Netflix’s special, Skyscraper Live. He will attempt to scale Taipei 101, one of the tallest buildings in the world, and viewers can watch it live.
The event was originally set for Friday, January 23, but weather forced a delay. It will now stream live on Saturday, January 24, at 8/7c. Organizers said safety is their top priority.
For those who don’t know him, Alex Honnold is a 40-year-old American climber from California. He’s best known for free solo climbs, which means he climbs without ropes or harnesses. He gained worldwide fame with the 2018 Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo, where he climbed Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan.
Taipei 101, in Taiwan, is 101 floors high. Its smooth exterior makes it very different from the rock faces Honnold usually climbs. The building’s stacked, bamboo-inspired design adds a unique challenge as he works his way up.
Honnold explained that the climb is structured like rock climbing. “There’s a balcony every eight floors, so it feels like a climbing pitch,” he said. Each segment is about 100 feet of hard effort, then a short rest at a balcony. He noted that unlike rock climbing, there isn’t a single “hardest move.” The challenge comes from the overall fatigue of climbing the building, which is harder to predict.
Fans will have to tune in to see how Honnold fares. Skyscraper Live streams Saturday, January 24, at 8/7c on Netflix.
