A thought that most climbers have at certain times in their lives. Having grown up in a family full of climbers and being one of them, I can attest to this. Everyone faces physical restrictions after a certain age. However, defying all odds is Alex Honnold, a 40-year-old American who is one of the greatest free solo climbers who has ever lived.
Free solo climbing is when a climber ascends a rock face without ropes, harness or safety equipment of any kind. All you have is a bag of chalk to keep your hands dry and maybe some water.
On January 25, Honnold was broadcast live on Netflix while free climbing a 101-story skyscraper without any safety equipment in Taiwan. A feat that no one had achieved before.
Alex Honnold’s selfie from the top of Taipei 101 after his historic free solo. #skyscraperLIVE pic.twitter.com/utODFAzzbX
-Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026
He is best known for his free solo climbing of Yosemite National Park’s 3,000-foot granite wall. The climbing-based documentary, titled Free Solo (2018), had received an Academy Award.
This was a different game overall. When it comes to rock walls, you get traction, holds, and cracks to hold on and hold on to, but urban climbing is just glass, steel, and concrete. A simple structure. No strategy can be conjured once the ascendant begins, and it was demonstrated live.
The spectators held their breath until Honnold made his next move. Every movement of the fingers, every pull-up made everyone bite their nails.
Taipei 101, a building almost 500 meters high, was scaled by him in almost an hour and a half. Watching a boxing or wrestling match on Netflix is one thing, but when someone scales a skyscraper without any safety equipment on a live broadcast, it’s stressful, especially the shots taken from above were not for the faint of heart.
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Every second of the climb was a mystery and kept everyone glued to their screens until the end.
During his rise, fans in the streets cheered him. He even took the time to greet them and chat with the people at the studio. Using the pinch, he relied only on the pads of his hands and feet, as he pushed his body outward. It was a strenuous technique, especially on concrete, glass and steel slabs.
Mark Robber, an engineer and now YouTuber, joined the event to share his scientific knowledge while climbing, while WWE superstar Seth Rollins co-hosted the show alongside sports presenter Elle Duncan and professional mountaineer Emily Harrington.
Leaving aside the backlash the livestream received over the hosts’ comments, it didn’t affect the climber’s exciting ascent. Every second of the climb was a mystery and kept everyone glued to their screens until the end.
Without hands it’s crazy. @AlexHonnold #skyscraperLIVE pic.twitter.com/twmCSX5nDS
-Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026
Netflix did a good job of intercutting cutaway shots to lighten the mood by showing his workout videos and conversations with his wife. It seemed to do a decent job of capturing the essence of how important family support is to getting out and free solo climbing.
Honnold, who recently had a son, wouldn’t accomplish anything without the support of his wife and climbing partner Sanni McCandless Honnold. She was the one who greeted him and joined him in the celebrations at the top of the tower after he completed his ascent.
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Honnold’s rise looked like something out of a movie and looked like Spiderman was in a Mission: Impossible movie.
The climb, titled Skyscraper, is now available on Netflix