Who is Alex Honnold? Free solo climber taking on a terrifying challenge in Netflix's Skyscraper Live

Netflix is no stranger to hosting live events on its platform but Skyscraper Live is the first of its kind, including for those involved.

As teased by the streamer, Alex Honnold will step onto the exterior of Taipei 101 - a 1,667 feet skyscraper of glass, steel and concrete - as he attempts to climb all 101 floors without ropes, all while being live streamed on Netflix.

"I'm not really worried about the spectators," Honnold said ahead of the climb. "Plus, no matter how many people are watching, I'm never going to see the people watching. It's not like an auditorium of people watching me."

So, just who is Alex Honnold? Scroll on to learn more about the climber and his biggest challenge yet.

Who is Alex Honnold?

Alex Honnold is a rock climber best known for his free solo climbing up big walls.

Growing up, Honnold competed in national and international youth climbing championships, previously admitting he hadn't been a "great climber."

"There were a lot of other climbers who were much, much stronger than me, who started as kids and were, like, instantly freakishly strong," he said. "Like they just have a natural gift. And that was never me. I just loved climbing, and I've been climbing all the time ever since, so I've naturally gotten better at it, but I've never been gifted."

He first gained recognition for his climbing in 2008, when he free soloed the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome, with his achievement being publicised in the documentary Alone on the Wall.

He then rose to further notoriety in 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a full route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

This climb was captured by filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin for the documentary Free Solo, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2018.

What is Skyscraper Live?

Skyscraper Live is a two hour livestream that'll follow Alex Honnold and his ascent of one of the world's tallest skyscrapers in Taipei, Taiwan.

What has Alex Honnold said about Skyscraper Live?

It's safe to say, Honnold is rather excited about his next free solo adventure.

Asked why he wants to take on a skyscraper, Honnold told Netflix: "Why not? Taipei 101 because it's amazing and it's an incredible building. It's possible, which a lot of skyscrapers aren't - it's uniquely suited for climbing.

"Now, because it’s really hard to get permission to climb a building and I have permission, I have to take advantage of it and climb the building. Basically, it’s just rare to get this kind of opportunity, so you gotta jump when you can."

Skyscraper Live will air on Friday 23rd January on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media.

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