Margot Lee | A&E Editor
February 6, 2026
Free soloist Alex Honnold has done it again. But this time it’s not a rock formation; it’s one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. Honnold’s claim to fame came in 2017 after he became the first and only person to successfully climb El Capitan, a 3,000 foot vertical summit located in Yosemite National Park, without ropes, parachutes, or nets. This feat prompted the production of Free Solo, an academy award winning documentary following Honnold’s journey before, during, and after his life threatening four-hour climb.
His most recent venture on January 25th, Taipei 101, is a 1,667 foot tall building located in Taipei City, Taiwan. Standing at 101 floors, the skyscraper held the title of tallest building in the world up until the construction of the Burj Khalifa in 2010. The steep and slick nature of this urban climb left Honnold fighting a brand new mental battle, one different from the complex technical moves needed for natural rock climbing.
In the age of streaming, Netflix immediately took up the opportunity to broadcast a live viewing of Honnold’s climb. With his lack of safety equipment coupled with a live global audience, Netflix took some precautions in case the climb took a tragic turn. The stream initiated a 10-second delay from real time to what viewers saw at home, enough time for producers to shut down production before a fatality was aired.
While the possibility of a lethal mis-step left viewers biting their fingernails, Honnold has always stayed cool and collected. This has raised a common question among neurosurgeons and the public alike, what is going on inside his brain? Junior and psychology student Elyana Duncan said she needs to “see a side-by-side of his brain scan with a normal person’s,” noting that his brain clearly works differently than the average human’s. The adrenaline junkie’s unnerving tranquility likely comes from the lack of activity in his amygdala, the brain’s fear center. Honnold was shown a series of photos that make the average human tap into their fight or flight response. He was left completely stoic, officially classifying him as a ‘super sensation seeker,’ according to the American Psychological Association.
Pictures and videos from both the ground and inside the building roll out as Taipei City locals gawk at Honnold’s thrilling hour-and-a-half ascent with second-hand stress. Senior Kenzie Granum said her “palms were sweating” as she watched Honnold hang “from only his legs” as he let go of the structure to chalk his hands.
The world let out a sigh of relief when Alex Honnold safely reached the top. He nonchalantly uttered the word, “sick,” looking down from 101 stories in the sky. Now, Taipei 101 has become a renowned monument and tourist destination after Honnold inspired the world, pushing the limits of body and mind.
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