Most terrifying live stream of 2026: Internet holds breath as American rock climber Alex Honnold climbs Taipei 101 skyscraper without ropes or safety net
On January 25, 2026, world-renowned American rock climber Alex Honnold etched a new chapter in the history of extreme adventure by free-soloing Taipei 101, the iconic 508-metre (1,667-foot) skyscraper in Taiwan’s capital, without any ropes, safety net or harness. The climb was broadcast live on Netflix’s Skyscraper Live, capturing global attention not only for its breathtaking physicality but also for what it represents in the evolution of how extreme sports are being experienced and shared in the digital age.This was not a spontaneous stunt, it was the culmination of years of planning, negotiation with authorities and careful orchestration to ensure both safety and spectacle. Taipei 101’s management and the Taipei city government sanctioned the event and supported the live broadcast, giving Honnold access like no urban free-solo ascent before.
A new frontier by Alex Honnold: Urban free solo meets streaming spectacle
Traditionally, free solo or climbing without protective equipment has been a discipline practiced on natural rock faces, far from city crowds and media lights. Honnold’s famous 2017 ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park was immortalised in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo for exactly that reason: a remote, raw expression of human capability and psychological discipline under immense risk.However, Taipei 101 represents a different beast entirely with an engineered, glass-and-steel monolith nestled in a thriving metropolis. By bringing free solo into the urban environment, the event blurred the line between adventure sport and media spectacle. Honnold completed the climb in approximately 1 hour 31 minutes using only his hands and feet, stepping on architectural outcroppings and balconies as he ascended.That the climb was streamed live to a global audience, with applause erupting from crowds gathered below, marks a shift in how feats once confined to niche circles are now broadcast as shared cultural moments. This was not a climbing competition; it was a primetime event where tens of thousands watched in real time as a human being conquered gravity on the edge of a skyscraper.
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