American climber Alex Honnold ascended Taipei 101, the 508‑metre skyscraper in Taiwan, on Sunday without ropes or protective gear. The 39‑year‑old, known for his free‑climb of El Capitan in Yosemite, used only small handholds and ornamental protrusions to reach the top in about 90 minutes. A crowd gathered on the streets below, cheering as he reached the roof and then held his arms above his head in a celebratory pose. The ascent, livestreamed on Netflix with a ten‑second delay, drew mixed reactions: excitement over the daring feat and concern about the ethical implications of performing such a risky act in front of a live audience. Honnold is the first climber to reach the tower’s summit without any rope, though French climber Alain Robert previously scaled the building in 2004. The event highlighted both the technical skill required to navigate the building’s bamboo‑box sections and the global attention the landmark commands.

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