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


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

Portugal says efforts to balance budget, cut debt constrained by storm damage
Canada announces new chief trade negotiator to the United States
'Lovers' Arch' collapses on Valentine's Day on Italy's Adriatic coast
Albanian PM seeks to stop judiciary from dismissing ministers
Austria files charges against suspect over planned 2024 Taylor Swift attack
Canada's Carney to visit India in early March, Ontario minister says
EU countries must not hide behind national interests, German minister says
Morocco residents begin returning to northwest as flood waters recede
Ecuador prison deaths climb again despite Noboa security strategy, data shows
French police raid Arab World Institute in Paris as Epstein fallout widens

Others Also Read