Alex Honnold is scheduled to start free soloing the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan in a couple of hours — weather permitting. It’s currently raining.
Crowds begin to gather outside Taipei 101 in the rain. Photo: Chinatimes.com
If the rain stops and the conditions on the building are good enough, Netflix will stream the stunt live beginning at 8 pm ET; 9 am in Taiwan; and really, really late here in Europe. The live stream will come with a 10-second delay.
No ropes — just him, a pair of climbing shoes, and a chalk bag. The stunt has focused attention on climbing like nothing since his Academy Award-winning Free Solo film. It’s expected that a lot of Taiwanese will be standing below, craning their necks and looking up while he climbs. Again, that is, if the climb comes off as scheduled.
What is the weather like?
Currently in Taipei, a light rain is falling. Forecasts say the weather will be around 17°C with intermittent light rain and an easterly wind of about 16kph. Cloudy skies are expected all day, but the rain may come and go. The forecast indicates a 50% to 60% chance of rain during the 1.5 hours the climb is expected to take.
Below, a live cam from a city overview atop a nearby hiking trail. You’d be able to see Taipei 101 if the weather were clearer.
If the weather is too wet to climb safely, Honnold said on the Climbing Gold podcast earlier this week that he will delay a couple of hours or even postpone the climb until better weather.
According to The Taipei Times, municipal authorities have restricted traffic around the building during the climb. Pedestrian access will also be restricted from 7 am till 11 am Taipei time today.
Here is what the Taipei 101 looks like at 6 pm ET:
Taipei 101, at left. Photo: YouTube
The 508m skyscraper has 101 floors and was the world’s tallest building when it opened in 2004. In 2010, the Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates surpassed it, and Taipei 101 is now the 11th-tallest building in the world. No one has successfully free soloed it; Honnold would be the first.
Alex Honnold in Taipei, Taiwan. Photograph by Corey Rich for Netflix
In 2004, Alain Robert became the first person to climb Taipei 101, but his ascent wasn’t a free solo. He used a top-rope and harness — a safety requirement imposed by the Taiwanese government.
Honnold has diligently practiced on the building using ropes as preparation.
Alex Honnold in Taipei, Taiwan. Photograph by Corey Rich for Netflix
Broadcast team includes Emily Harrington
Elite climber Emily Harrington will be on the broadcast team as an expert commentator. Earlier this week, she shared some thoughts about Honnold on social media:
”The amazing thing about Alex [Honnold] is not only his unmatched free solo skills, but his ability to convey his pure stoke and genuine love for what he does in a way that makes something as insane as free soloing a skyscraper seem like a wholesome, fun endeavor,” Harrington wrote.
“As a human, Alex is about as real and grounded as they come, and I hope those of you who watch get a glimpse of that part of who he is…I’ve learned a lot from him.”
Honnold in Taipei, Taiwan. Photograph by Corey Rich for Netflix
