"Climbed 508m with Bare Hands"... Alex Honnold Conquers Taipei 101, Making 'New History'

The protagonist of the documentary 'Free Solo' and a living legend of rock climbing Alex Honnold has now stood at the pinnacle of a massive forest of buildings.

According to Netflix and foreign media on the 26th (Korean time), Honnold successfully completed a historic challenge by climbing the landmark Taipei 101 in Taiwan without ropes or safety equipment on the 24th local time. This process was broadcast live worldwide through the Netflix special 'Skyscraper Live'.

◆ 30 minutes faster than expected... Overwhelming skill

Originally scheduled for the 23rd, this climb was postponed by a day due to dangerous local weather conditions and started at 9 AM on the 24th. Honnold climbed the skyscraper, which is 508m (1,667 feet) tall and 101 stories high, using only the strength of his hands and feet. Netflix had estimated the climbing time to be 2 hours, but Honnold reached the summit in 1 hour 31 minutes and 43 seconds, demonstrating a speed that exceeded expectations. This surpasses the record set by 'Spider-Man' Alain Robert at the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia, marking the highest urban structure free solo climb record ever.

◆ "Viewers might have felt uncomfortable..."

After reaching the summit and leisurely taking a selfie, Honnold then put on a safety harness and descended via elevator. In an interview with Netflix Tudum, he said, "I know the viewers might have felt tense and uncomfortable, but I hope they could also appreciate the joy I felt, the beauty of the scenery, and this experience itself. This is more than just extreme sports," he expressed.

◆ Hundreds of thousands of dollars in appearance fees? "It's about the challenge, not the money"

The New York Times (NYT) reported that Honnold received an appearance fee estimated at 'mid-six figures (approximately 500-600 million won)' for this challenge. However, Honnold emphasized the pure spirit of challenge over monetary motivation. He stated, "If I could have just gotten permission to climb the building, I would have done it even without the TV broadcast," asserting, "I knew I could do it, and that is an amazing thing."