‘It was really windy, so I thought, don’t fall off the spire’: American rock climber scales Taipei 101 skyscraper in just 90 minutes without ropes

On Sunday, American rock climber Alex Honnold climbed the Taipei 101 skyscraper without any ropes or protective gear.

As he reached the top of the 508-meter (1,667-foot) tower around 90 minutes after he began, cheers burst out from a street-level crowd. Wearing a red short-sleeve shirt, Honnold waved his arms back and forth above his head.

“It was like, what a view, it’s amazing, what a beautiful day,” he said afterwards. “It was very windy, so I was like, don’t fall off the spire. I was trying to balance well. But it was, what an incredible position, what a wonderful way to see Taipei.”

Honnold, famous for climbing up Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, climbed one corner of Taipei 101 using small L-shaped outcroppings as footholds. Occasionally, he had to move around and climb up the sides of large ornamental structures that stick out from the tower, pulling himself up with his bare hands.

The building has 101 floors, with the most difficult part being the 64 floors of the middle section – the “bamboo boxes” that give the building its distinctive look. Divided into eight parts, each segment has eight floors of steep, overhanging climbing followed by balconies, where he took short breaks as he climbed up.

Honnold’s climb in Taiwan’s capital city was broadcast live with a 10-second delay. The ascent, originally planned for Saturday, was postponed for 24 hours because of rain.

Having a cheering crowd was unusual and a bit nerve-racking at first for Honnold, whose climbs are usually in remote areas.

“When I was leaving the ground, you’re like, oh, it’s kind of intense, there are so many people watching,” he said. “But then, honestly, they’re all wishing me well. I mean, basically, it just makes the whole experience feel almost more festive, all these nice people are out supporting me and having a good time.”

The climb brought both excitement and concern about the ethical implications of attempting such a high-risk endeavor on live broadcast.

Honnold isn’t the first climber to climb Taipei 101, but he is the first to do it without a rope. French rock climber Alain Robert scaled the building on Christmas Day in 2004 as part of the grand opening of what was then the world’s tallest building.

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Associated Press video journalist Taijing Wu and writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed.