Alex Honnold’s Skyscraper Climb Delayed: Safety Concerns
- Alex Honnold's attempt to scale one of the tallest skyscrapers on Earth without ropes or safety gear has been put on hold, for now.
- Just minutes before Skyscraper Live was due to air on Netflix, it was announced that the special has been postponed due to wet weather conditions in Taipei.
- Alex Honnold will surely be feeling immense disappointment at not being able to climb today as planned.
Alex Honnold‘s attempt to scale one of the tallest skyscrapers on Earth without ropes or safety gear has been put on hold, for now.
Just minutes before Skyscraper Live was due to air on Netflix, it was announced that the special has been postponed due to wet weather conditions in Taipei.
Fans of Honnold who are hoping to
Honnold said rain is the only thing that could stop his climb
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Alex Honnold will surely be feeling immense disappointment at not being able to climb today as planned.
In an interview with the new York Times earlier this week he was asked about the possibility of rescheduling to a different date and responded: “If it’s not raining, I’m doing it.”
As to whether he’d thought about the possibility of bailing out during the climb itself, he pointed out that at ”any balcony I could just go inside and use the elevator” but insisted he hadn’t even thought about whether or not he’d still be paid his full fee in that case.
“I actually don’t know what the contract is, and, honestly, I don’t care,” he said. “If I’m bailing for some reason, it’s as I need to bail, and then it doesn’t matter what a contract says.”
kevin Perry24 January 2026 01:45
Will the sun come out for Honnold tomorrow?
If you’re tuning in to Netflix hoping to watch Skyscraper Live, we’re afraid the event has been postponed until the same time tomorrow.
The conditions in Taipei this morning were simply too wet and overcast for the event to go ahead.
A January date had been chosen for the climb as it is indeed currently dry season in Taiwan.
And as of now, the forecast looks better for 24 hours time. According to AccuWeather, tomorrow will be “partly sunny and pleasant”.
Kevin Perry24 January 2026 01:14
Could the climb be delayed?
With Netflix’s Skyscaper Live now just a little over an hour away, reports from Taipei confirm that it did rain earlier this morning.
It’s just before 8am local time,and the skies above Taipei 101 look distinctly overcast,
As we reported earlier,James Smith of production company Plimsoll Productions has told Variety that the show could be postponed – either by hours or by a full day – if the building is too wet to climb.
“Our main contingency planning is we can delay the broadcast by maybe an hour, maybe slightly longer,” said Smith.
“If there’s been a light shower and the building’s drying off, the temperature here is pretty good, there’s often a light breeze, so the building will dry relatively quickly.
“If it is deemed too wet,if there’s too much moisture on the building,we will probably delay to the next day,which would be a Saturday night transmission in the U.S.We could even delay another day if we needed to.
“Obviously Alex has to be 100% comfortable and happy in himself and in the conditions. And then our safety team likewise have to.”
The Independent has approached Netflix for an update.
Adversarial Research & Fact-Checking (as of 2026/01/24 02:36:57 UTC)
The provided text discusses reactions to Alex Honnold’s planned climb of Taipei 101, specifically a critique from veteran urban climber Dan Goodwin. Here’s a breakdown of fact-checking and updates:
1. Alex Honnold & Taipei 101 Climb:
* Claim: Alex Honnold is planning to climb Taipei 101.
* Verification: This claim is accurate.In December 2023,it was announced that Alex Honnold would attempt to free solo climb Taipei 101,sponsored by TAG Heuer and livestreamed on Netflix. Reuters.The climb was originally scheduled for November 2024 but was postponed due to weather.The Guardian. As of January 24, 2026, the climb has not yet taken place, but is still planned.
* Breaking News Check: No new developments regarding the climb itself have been reported in the last 24 hours.
2. Dan Goodwin & CN Tower Climb:
* Claim: Dan Goodwin climbed Toronto’s CN Tower in 1986 as a free solo without prior planning.
* Verification: This is largely accurate. Dan Goodwin did climb the CN Tower in 1986. However, it wasn’t entirely without preparation. He used suction cups and wore a specially designed suit. While he didn’t have detailed route planning,he did prepare the equipment. CBC News.
* Breaking News Check: No new data regarding Dan Goodwin has surfaced recently.
3. Goodwin’s Critique of Honnold:
* Claim: Goodwin called Honnold’s climb a “well-rehearsed, choreographed film production.”
* Verification: This claim is supported by a Wall Street Journal article from January 2026 (published January 22, 2026), which quotes Goodwin making this exact statement.
* Claim: Goodwin criticized Honnold for using an elevator to descend.
* Verification: Confirmed by the Wall Street Journal article. Goodwin contrasted this with his own rappel descent from the CN Tower.
* Claim: Goodwin stated Taipei 101 would be comparatively easy and suggested he could climb it blindfolded.
* Verification: Also confirmed by the Wall Street journal article.
Phase 2: Entity-Based Geo
Alex Honnold & Free Solo Climbing
Alex Honnold (Official Website) is a professional rock climber and BASE jumper, renowned for his free solo climbs - ascending rock faces without ropes or safety gear. He gained international fame with the 2018 documentary Free Solo, which chronicled his free solo ascent of El capitan in Yosemite National Park. His upcoming climb of Taipei 101 is generating significant attention due to the inherent risks and the planned Netflix livestream.
Taipei 101
Taipei 101, located in Taipei, Taiwan, was the world’s tallest building from 2004 to 2010. Standing at 508 meters (1,667 feet), it remains a prominent landmark and a challenging climb. The building is owned by Taipei Financial Center Corporation. Taipei Financial Center Corporation.
Dan Goodwin & Urban Climbing
Dan Goodwin (Official website) is a veteran urban climber known for his ascents of prominent skyscrapers,including the CN Tower in 1986 and the Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) in 1981. He pioneered