Alex Honnold to free solo Taipei 101

[jon-nyc]

Gift link.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/us/alex-honnold-netflix-taipei.html?unlocked_article_code=1.GlA.ZI6-.BAnVU6J0WE0w&smid=url-share

[89th]

Always found his interviews interesting. He's insanely calm and candid, borderline autistic, about what he's doing, the dangers, the risks, the ease (to him). His wife has often asked him not to do certain climbs but he does it anyway, I guess she knew that when she married him.

[Klaus]

Interesting interview.

Isn't this very similar to the gladiators in Rome? The thrill of somebody putting his life at risk?

It would be nice if we, as a society, would stop admiring and incentivizing people who risk their lives without a good reason.

[jon-nyc]

Yeah I though El Capitan was a cool movie but I won’t be watching this.

[89th]

Yeah this reminds me of the guy who would do the tight rope across the grand canyon.

BTW...I'm sure I could look it up but it's live at like 7pm tonight so I guess he'll be doing it at like 9am or so local time.

[jon-nyc]

[89th]

You know @jon-nyc I appreciate this post. As with most things I get my news from TNCR and after I put the kids to bed I opened my Netflix app to see how far he had made it and the front ad was "watch Alex tomorrow night" and I thought WTF did I get my days mixed up? Must've been Saturday. Nope, looks like it was a weather delay.

[taiwan_girl]

I just got back from Taiwan about 1-2 week ago. The weather in Taipei in the winter is generally gloomy, misty (or rainy) and cloudy. Hope that it clears for him tomorrow.

Reading an article, and it said he is getting paid about USD$500K for the climb.

One of his interesting quotes was something like: "I am not getting paid to climb the building. I am getting paid for the spectacle of it all."

[Horace]

It’s difficult to imagine why he would get paid for it beyond spectacle. Unless he is delivering a pizza to a very wealthy person who is starving on top of the building.

[taiwan_girl]

@Horace LOL

They had some clips on the Taiwan news of him practicing. He (obviously) made it to the top and then climbed up on teh spire and took a selfie.

I am guess that Netflix will have a XX second delay on the broadcast in case something bad happens.

[bachophile]

Not going to watch live. Maybe I’ll see the short version after he makes it up. And if he falls the net will be filled with various angles showing the tragedy.
I agree with 89, must be some autistic or Asperger type personaly disorder. Hard to relate to the complete disconnect between the objective danger and his calm tone.

[taiwan_girl]

Im watching but stepping away from the TV a lot. LOL. Palms are sweating.

[taiwan_girl]

Whew!!!! That was nerve racking!!

[jon-nyc]

Best comment so far:

watching alex honnold free solo 101 live was actually insane. palms sweating like i'm levered 100x on a shitcoin. even the cat locked in, totally forgot to blink.

[jon-nyc]

[jon-nyc]

No hands.

[jon-nyc]

Look at the wind on his shirt.

[jon-nyc]

[bachophile]

If u need the whole 95 min compressed to a time lapse of ten minutes, well here it is.

[Axtremus]

Thanks, @bachophile ... I don't have the patience to watch all 91+ minutes of it, so I am grateful that you shared the 10-minute time-lapsed video.