- Alex Honnold will free-solo a 101-story Taipei skyscraper during a live Netflix broadcast.
- Honnold says he feels “chill” and confident: “I feel like it’s going to be fine.”
- The climb will be without harnesses, parachutes or safety nets; Honnold: “You can’t make it safe in the way that a network executive wants you to.”
Alex Honnold’s live Taipei 101 ascent
Alex Honnold — the climber best known for his free-solo ascents captured in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo — is preparing to climb a 101-story skyscraper in Taipei live for Netflix. Honnold says he will climb alone, without a harness, safety nets or parachute.
What Honnold says about the risk
Talking with CNN, Honnold described his mindset as calm: “I feel like it’s going to be fine.” He pushed back on attempts to make the event artificially safe, telling reporters, “You can’t make it safe in the way that a network executive wants you to.”
The climber has also compared the viewing experience to other live sports: in terms of risk, he said, “It’s not that different from watching live football.”
Why this matters
The planned ascent shifts the spotlight from traditional climbing routes to an urban setting and will be streamed on a major platform. The combination of extreme sports and live streaming raises questions about ethical broadcasting, audience appetite for high-risk spectacles and how platforms manage viewer safety and production responsibility.
Watch the CNN interview
Video: Alex Honnold talks about the Taipei 101 climb — CNN
What we know — and what we don’t
Known: The climb is planned as a solo ascent of Taipei 101, to be televised live on Netflix. Honnold will not use a harness, safety nets or parachutes, and he has expressed confidence about the attempt.
Unknown: Specific broadcast timing, staging details and production protocols have not been disclosed in the CNN piece. Netflix and Honnold’s team will likely release more operational details as the event approaches.
Behind the decision
Honnold’s choice to continue free-soloing in highly public settings keeps the conversation alive about risk, consent and audience responsibility. His calm public statements aim to frame the climb as a calculated personal challenge rather than reckless spectacle.
We will update this story as Netflix and Honnold share more details about the live broadcast.
Image Referance: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/16/entertainment/video/alex-honnold-taipei-101-free-solo-digvid