Alex Honnold is scaling Taipei 101, marking his first major live free solo since his historic climb of El Capitan. This televised event, titled “Skyscraper Live,” follows him as he attempts to scale the 1,667-foot tower in Taiwan without any ropes or safety equipment. While the total height is less than what he famously conquered in Yosemite, the spectacle of a human being clinging to a glass-and-steel giant in the middle of a bustling metropolis provides a completely different visual scale.
The height of Taipei 101 is roughly one-third of a mile, putting Honnold in the thin air territory of high-altitude urban environments. Unlike the natural granite of El Capitan, which offers varied cracks and textures, the skyscraper’s exterior consists of repetitive, overhanging “bamboo” segments and polished surfaces. The live nature of the broadcast increases the stakes, as viewers watch in real-time while he navigates the 101 floors of one of the world’s most iconic buildings.
To truly understand the scope of this urban feat, one must look back at the sheer magnitude of the monolith that defined his career. Below, we break down how the artificial geometry of Taipei 101 stacks up against the massive granite face of El Capitan.
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How tall is Taipei 101?
Taipei 101 stands at a total height of 1,667 feet when measured to its architectural tip. This height includes the spire, though the roof of the building itself sits slightly lower at approximately 1,474 feet.
Taipei 101 is located in the Xinyi District of Taipei, Taiwan, an area often referred to as the city’s “Manhattan” due to its dense concentration of skyscrapers, luxury malls, and financial institutions.
Standing at 1,667 feet, the tower was the tallest building in the world from 2004 until 2010. While its physical height is impressive, its location and structural engineering are what make it a global landmark.
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How tall is El Capitan?
El Capitan is approximately 3,000 feet.
While the vertical rock face itself is about 3,000 feet, its peak sits at an elevation of 7,573 feet above sea level. To put its sheer size into perspective, El Capitan is nearly twice the height of Taipei 101, the skyscraper Honnold is tackling on Netflix.
| Feature | Taipei 101 | El Capitan |
| Vertical height | 1,667 feet | ~3,000 feet |
| Vertical meters | 508 meters | ~914 meters |
| Tallest point | 1,667 feet (Spire) | 7,573 feet (Above sea level) |
| Vertical scale | 55% of El Capitan | 1.8x height of Taipei 101 |
| Human scale | 101 stories | 3 Empire State Buildings |
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Alex Honnold’s El Capitan climb
Honnold made history in 2017 when he climbed El Capitan without a rope.
“It’s quite a bit steeper.” Here’s the route Alex Honnold took to become the first to climb El Capitan without ropes https://t.co/hv2Elk7803 pic.twitter.com/tGgyYK5cuR
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 6, 2017
Who has free-soloed El Capitan?
Honnold is the first and only person to have free-soloed a full route on El Capitan.
He completed this historic feat on June 3, 2017, climbing the freerider route in just 3 hours and 56 minutes. This achievement was the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary “Free Solo.”
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Is Alex Honnold wearing a harness for Taipei 101?
Honnold will not be wearing a harness.
He is performing what is known as a free solo, which means he will climb the entire 1,667-foot exterior of Taipei 101 without the use of ropes, harnesses, or any other protective safety equipment.
Because he is not wearing a harness or using safety nets, any fall from the building would likely be fatal. Honnold has noted that the building’s design features balconies every eight floors, which serve as resting points if he needs.
On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Honnold performed a rehearsal climb while wearing a harness and helmet to test the route and coordinates for the film crew. This was strictly for preparation; for the actual broadcast, he will be ropeless.
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Tallest buildings in the world
As of 2026, the list of the world’s tallest buildings remains dominated by skyscrapers in Asia and the Middle East. The Burj Khalifa continues to hold the top spot, a record it has maintained since its completion in 2010.
| Rank | Building | City | Country | Height (Feet) |
| 1 | Burj Khalifa | Dubai | UAE | 2,717 |
| 2 | Merdeka 118 | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 2,227 |
| 3 | Shanghai Tower | Shanghai | China | 2,073 |
| 4 | Makkah Royal Clock Tower | Mecca | Saudi Arabia | 1,972 |
| 5 | Ping An Finance Center | Shenzhen | China | 1,965 |
| 6 | Lotte World Tower | Seoul | South Korea | 1,819 |
| 7 | One World Trade Center | New York City | USA | 1,776 |
| 8 | Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre | Guangzhou | China | 1,739 |
| 9 | Tianjin CTF Finance Centre | Tianjin | China | 1,739 |
| 10 | China Zun (CITIC Tower) | Beijing | China | 1,731 |
