'Free solo' climb of Taiwan's tallest building postponed due to weather


  • World
  • Saturday, 24 Jan 2026

Climbing - Climber Alex Honnold free soloing Taipei 101 Skyscraper - Taipei, Taiwan - January 24, 2026 General view of Taipei 101 REUTERS/Ann Wang

TAIPEI, Jan 24 (Reuters) - ‌Poor weather on Saturday forced U.S. ‌climber Alex Honnold to postpone his "free ‌solo" rope and harness-free ascent of the outside of Taiwan's Taipei 101 skyscraper, one of the world's ‍tallest buildings.

The climb, organised ‍by Netflix for live ‌broadcast, has been rescheduled for Sunday morning ‍in ​Taipei, the streamer said on its X account.

"Safety remains our top ⁠priority, and we appreciate your understanding," ‌it added.

The top of Taipei 101 was obscured by ⁠cloud ‍on Saturday morning, with intermittent rain showers.

The 508 metre (1,667 feet) Taipei 101, which dominates ‍the city's skyline and is ‌a major tourist attraction, was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, a crown currently held by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Taipei 101 has been scaled before.

In 2004, French climber Alain Robert, ‌dubbed "Spiderman" for his ropeless ascents of some of the world's highest skyscrapers, climbed the building, in ​a time of four hours with a safety rope.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Kate Mayberry)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

Journalist Hunter S. Thompson took own life, Colorado investigators affirm
Tennis-Players, fans brace for extreme heat at Australian Open
Ukraine's two largest cities under Russian attack, officials say 13 injured
Iran will treat any attack as 'all-out war against us,' says senior Iran official
Safety fears hamper New Zealand rescue work after landslide
Venezuela's interim president Rodriguez says 626 prisoners released
South Korea PM, Vance discuss Coupang dispute and North Korea envoy, media report
US military says it struck vessel in eastern Pacific, killing two
Ancient human activity dating back 4,000 years discovered in western Cyprus
Dutch airline KLM temporarily suspends flights to the Middle East

Others Also Read