Even the world’s greatest climber can’t scale a skyscraper slick with rain — especially without ropes or a safety net.
World-renowned rock climber and Free Solo star Alex Honnold was slated to attempt a daring ascent of Taipei 101, one of Asia‘s tallest buildings — at 9 a.m. local time in Taipei on Saturday, or 8 p.m., ET, on Friday — in an event broadcast globally as Skyscraper Live, Netflix’s latest foray into live sports programming.
But as the sun rose on Taipei Saturday morning and revealed a cityscape drenched by a steady drizzle, it was clear the spectacle was in jeopardy.
About 30 minutes before Honnold was originally scheduled to begin piecing his way up the base of the tower, Netflix revealed that the climb would be delayed by exactly one full day, in the hopes of clearer local weather on Sunday. The streamer said the decision whether to postpone was entirely Honnold’s to make, since it was his life literally on the line.
“Ultimately, this will be Alex’s decision,” a representative for Netflix had told The Hollywood Reporter on Friday. “How is he doing and how is he feeling about the conditions?”
It soon became obvious in Taipei on Saturday morning that Honnold was feeling his feat simply couldn’t be done when his 1,667-foot target was wet and slippery, and whipped by gusts of wind.
“Due to weather, we are unable to proceed with today’s SkyscraperLIVE event,” Netflix’s official statement read. “It has been rescheduled for Saturday, January 24 at 8 PM ET | 5 PM PT. Safety remains our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding.”
The postponement underscores the real-life risk of Honnold’s planned attempt. Climbing experts, and Honnold himself, have said Taipei 101’s geometric structure makes for a relatively straightforward challenge compared to the technical complexity of many of his most awe-inspiring climbing feats, especially Yosemite’s El Capitan, which was famously documented in the Oscar-winning Free Solo. But the building is nonetheless staggeringly tall, making the ascent something like a vertical marathon — and all without safety ropes.
Before Netflix’s rescheduling was revealed, disappointment was palpable in Taipei, where local news coverage had been building anticipation for Honnold’s daring ascent for weeks. Spectators were expected to gather by the thousands at the base of the tower to witness the spectacle, but the streets were deserted early Saturday amid the ugly weather. Honnold’s many local fans were clearly banking on a rain-out.
