TAIPEI, Jan 25 (Reuters) – U.S. climber Alex Honnold scaled the Taipei 101 skyscraper without ropes or safety netting on Sunday, watched by thousands of cheering and waving fans as he clambered up one of the world’s tallest buildings.
“Sick,” Honnold said as he got to the top spire of Taiwan’s tallest building after his 91-minute “free solo” ascent, which was organised and broadcast live by Netflix.
“What a beautiful way to see Taipei,” he told reporters after his mission, which was postponed by a day due to wet weather.
The 508-metre (1,667-foot) Taipei 101, which dominates the city’s skyline and is a major tourist attraction, was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, a crown currently held by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
The climb, with no safety equipment, took place with the full support and permission of Taipei 101 and the city government.
Honnold said he had once thought of climbing the structure without permission.
“But then out of respect for the building and respect for all the people on the team who’d allowed me access to look at it, I was like, well obviously I’m not going to poach this, I’m going to respect the people and just see if it ever comes together.”
Executive Producer James Smith said it was rare for a building to trust a climber and allow such an event to take place, calling Taipei 101 “a real icon of this country”.
Taiwanese politicians took to social media to thank Honnold and Netflix for putting Taiwan – more accustomed to featuring in global headlines for its semiconductor prowess or Chinese military threats – in the international spotlight with such a different perspective.
“Congratulations to the brave, fearless Alex for completing the challenge,” President Lai Ching-te wrote on his Facebook page.
“Through Netflix’s live broadcast cameras, the world didn’t just see Taipei 101 – it also saw the warmth and passion of the Taiwanese people, and the beautiful hills and scenery of this land,” he added.
This is not the first time Taipei 101 has been scaled.
In 2004, French climber Alain Robert, dubbed “Spiderman” for his ropeless ascents of some of the world’s highest skyscrapers, climbed the building, though did so with a safety rope in a time of four hours.
(Reporting by Fabian Hamacher, Angie Teo, Ann Wang and Ben Blanchard; Editing by William Mallard)
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