Alex Honnold To Scale 1,667-Foot Skyscraper For Live Netflix Special

The daredevil climber from 'Free Solo' will attempt to scale the 1,667-foot Taipei 101 without ropes

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And for his next trick, Alex Honnold will scale one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world.

If that name doesn't immediately ring a bell, you might know him as the guy who scaled El Capitan without ropes in that 2018 documentary Free Solo. And if you're anything like me, you spent the entire hour and 40 minutes on the edge of your seat and holding your breath.

Well, get ready for another panic attack because Honnold is scheduled to climb Taipei 101 — the world's 11th tallest building. And this time, he's doing it live on Netflix.

LIVE.

The two-hour special, called Skyscraper Live, will air in early 2026 (exact date TBA) and follow Honnold as he attempts to free solo the 1,667-foot tower. That’s 101 stories. No ropes. No harnesses.

I'm terrified just thinking about it.

"Watching Alex Honnold free climb Taipei 101 will be an adrenaline-inducing spectacle that you can’t look away from," said Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s VP of nonfiction series and sports. "Everyone will be talking about it as it happens."

In addition to conquering El Capitan at Yosemite National Park, Honnold has completed a laundry list of other challenging climbs. To name just a few:

  • Moonlight Buttress in Zion
  • The Yosemite Triple Crown (El Cap, Half Dome, Watkins)
  • The Fitz Traverse in Patagonia
  • A 1,750-foot limestone monster in Mexico called El Sendero Luminoso
  • The Complete Scream in Northern Ireland

But I guess when big rocks get boring, it's time to graduate to urban skyscrapers.

Earlier this year, Honnold was spotted doing a test climb of Taipei 101 (with ropes, this time). Imagine working in your 90th floor office and looking out to see some dude just hanging there and smiling at you through the window.

The building's management team says safety protocols have been designed and cleared by authorities. So it'll be totally safe! Or at least as safe as it can be for a guy scurrying 1,600+ feet up a glass tower. 

But no pressure, Alex. Not like the whole world will be watching live or anything.

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