The climbing legend made history in the must-see event.
Alex Honnold's one-word reaction after climbing Taipei 101 on Netflix says everything originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Alex Honnold reached the top of Taipei 101, paused on the tiny sphere crowning the skyscraper and summed up the moment with a single word.
“Sick.”
That was Honnold’s reaction after completing the tallest urban free solo climb in history, scaling the 1,667-foot tower without ropes, harnesses or safety gear in just over 90 minutes. He waved to the crowd below, peered over the edge and even snapped a selfie before carefully transitioning into a harness for the descent.
ALEX HONNOLD AFTER COMPLETING HIS FREE SOLO OF TAIPEI 101: "Sick."
— Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026
The 101 story climb took 1 hour and 35 minutes #SkyscraperLIVEpic.twitter.com/TIzeRqiUcM
The climb officially took him 1:35 to accomplish and was the centerpiece of Netflix's Skyscraper Live event, which aired Sunday night after being postponed a day because of weather. The Netflix broadcast was hosted by Elle Duncan and featured commentary from WWE star Seth Rollins, elite climber Emily Harrington and science expert Mark Rober.
Thousands of spectators gathered outside a secured perimeter as Honnold began the ascent, occasionally turning to chalk his hands, wave to the crowd and acknowledge onlookers inside the building holding signs or filming from behind the glass. He later embraced his wife, Sanni McCandless, after stepping off the spire and into an elevator.
The route was divided into three sections — the Slabs, the Bamboo Boxes and the Tower — each presenting unique challenges, including overhangs, decorative protrusions and swirling winds.
Honnold remained calm throughout, cracking jokes into his microphone as drones and rig-mounted cameras tracked his progress. Netflix employed a 10-second broadcast delay and a live climb tracker, though minor technical hiccups briefly interrupted the feed.
Honnold, whose 2017 free solo of El Capitan was chronicled in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo, called the Taipei 101 ascent a lifelong goal. After reaching the top, his verdict was simple and emphatic.
More Alex Honnold news:
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- How Alex Honnold's Taipei 101 climb compares to El Capitan
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Category: General Sports
