Alex Honnold: The Man Who Just Conquered Taipei 101 Without a Rope

Just when we thought nothing could top the heart-stopping suspense of Free Solo, Alex Honnold has done it again. As of January 2026, the 40-year-old climbing legend is the talk of the world after successfully free soloing Taipei 101—one of the tallest skyscrapers on the planet—live on Netflix.

In an event titled Skyscraper Live, Honnold traded Yosemite's granite for Taiwan's glass and steel, scaling 101 floors without a rope, harness, or safety net. It was audacious, terrifying, and completely mesmerizing.

Quick Facts: The Climb & The Climber

The Taipei 101 Climb: A "Victory Lap"

In late January 2026, millions tuned in to Netflix to watch Honnold tackle the 1,667-foot giant. Unlike the natural rock of El Capitan, Taipei 101 presented a unique challenge: smooth surfaces, wind, and repetitive movements over 101 floors.

Starting around 9:00 a.m. local time, Honnold moved with his signature calm. He finished the climb in a blistering 1 hour and 31 minutes, crushing the previous roped record. He even had time to wave to the crowds below! While viewers (and his wife, Sanni, watching from inside) held their breath, Honnold described the experience as "fun" and called the final section a "victory lap," celebrating at the top with a simple, "Sick."

From Yosemite Dirtbag to Global Icon

Born in Sacramento, Honnold dropped out of UC Berkeley to live in a van and climb full-time. He cut his teeth on Yosemite's big walls, but it was his 2017 free solo of El Capitan that shot him to stardom. The resulting documentary, Free Solo, won an Oscar and terrified audiences worldwide.

While Taipei 101 was his first major urban free solo, it proved that his skills translate perfectly from granite to glass. He remains the only person to have free soloed El Capitan's Freerider route.

Family & Philosophy

Since his El Cap days, Honnold’s life has changed. He married Sanni McCandless in 2020, and they are now parents to two daughters, June and Alice. Fatherhood has made him more methodical, but he insists his risk assessment hasn't changed. As he bluntly puts it, "I never wanted to die."

He continues to give back through the Honnold Foundation, which brings solar energy to underserved communities.

What’s the Payout?

For risking his life on live TV, Netflix reportedly paid Honnold in the mid-six figures (around $500,000). In true Honnold fashion, he called the sum "embarrassingly small" compared to mainstream sports stars but admitted he would have done the climb for free if they’d let him.