Netflix postpones “Free Solo” star Alex Honnold's live skyscraper climbing stunt

Alex Honnold needs to not get a grip.

Just about a half-hour before it was slated to begin on Friday, Netflix announced the postponement of Honnold's Skyscraper Live event, wherein he is supposed to climb a massive skyscraper in Taiwan with the world watching in real time.

“Due to weather, we are unable to proceed with today’s SkyscraperLIVE event,” Netflix’s official statement read. “It has been rescheduled for Saturday, January 24 at 8 PM ET | 5 PM PT. Safety remains our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding.” Local weather in Taiwan was said to be rainy at the time of the announcement.

The special marks the streamer's most daring and innovative attempt at live sporting events yet. It's slated to feature Honnold, the professional climber and star of 2018's Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo, as he climbs the 11th tallest building in the world, the Taipei 101.

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In total, the building is made up of 101 stories that ascend well over 1,600 feet. As is his style, Honnold will do the climb free solo, meaning without any ropes, harnesses, or safety nets.

Speaking with CNN, Honnold discussed the differences between his usual climbs — think Ingmikortilaq in Greenland, Nevada's Red Rock Canyon, or El Capitan in Yosemite National Park — and a building such as the Taipei 101. “If something happens, I would die, though actually, on this particular building, that’s not even totally true because there are balconies every few floors," he said. "The geometry of the building, the shape of the building is such that you actually could fall in tons of places and not actually die, which makes it in some ways safer than a lot of rock-climbing objectives.”

Nevertheless, the feat will still be a, ahem, tall ask of Honnold. "I think the hardest part of the climb will be what we’re calling the bamboo boxes, which are eight segments in the middle of the building that are overhanging," he explained in a different interview to Tudum. "Each one is eight floors, so it represents 64 floors in the middle of the building, and they’re all the same. They overhang, I don’t know, 10 or 15 degrees — it’s kind of steep — and then there’s a balcony every eight floors... The boxes are definitely the most physically demanding part."

Honnold also admitted feeling some anxiety ahead of the event, despite his years of experience. "I think the thing that’s most uncertain to me is the psychological state — how’s it going to feel? I’ve never climbed a skyscraper before," he told Tudum.

He continued, "I’m sure I’ll feel a little nervous at the bottom, just because it’s something totally new and I don’t know how it’s going to feel. I’ve spent 30 years climbing rock faces; this is going to be my first big handmade structure, so I’m sure it’ll feel a little different."

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly