Alex Honnold on Why Safety is Not the Focus of Netflix’s ‘Skyscraper Live’ Event
Renowned rock climber Alex Honnold is gearing up for his upcoming appearance on Netflix’s live event, Skyscraper Live. During the event, Honnold will attempt a monumental free solo climb of Taipei 101, the tallest building in Taiwan, navigating the ascent without ropes or safety nets.
Calling the challenge his “lifelong dream,” Honnold likened the experience to the thrill of live sports. In an interview with CNN, he stated, “It just seems more dramatic because the consequences are so much higher.”
Despite the inherent risks associated with such a daring feat, Honnold expressed confidence. “I feel like it’s going to be fine,” he said.
While Honnold is acutely aware of the dangers involved in free solo climbing, he noted specific features of Taipei 101 could mitigate some risks. “If something happens, I would die—though actually, on this particular building, that’s not even totally true because there are balconies every few floors. The geometry of the building is such that you could fall in tons of places and not actually die, making it in some ways safer than a lot of rock-climbing objectives,” he explained.
With three decades of experience under his belt, Honnold, who gained fame for being the first to free solo El Capitan, emphasized the importance of danger in the spectacle. “In the past, when this was almost a TV show and now with the Netflix program, everyone’s like, ‘Cool, this is gonna be great for TV.’ But how do we make it safe? The whole point is that it’s fundamentally not safe,” he stated.
Honnold addressed criticism labeling the event a “stunt,” acknowledging the skepticism from some in the climbing community. “I understand why people would say that, but I’m also like, ‘If they had the opportunity to climb this, they would climb this too.’ Because it’s so cool, it’s so fun,” he said, asserting that many critics would still tune in to watch.
He lightheartedly added, “It’s not gonna be the one climb that I define myself by. I don’t think. Unless I fall off,” while emphasizing a humorous approach to the impending challenge.
Skyscraper Live is set to stream globally on Netflix at 5 p.m. PT on January 23.
