Bad Weather Delays Alex Honnold's Taipei 101 Free Solo Attempt
Wet weather has forced free solo climber Alex Honnold to postpone his highly anticipated attempt to scale Taipei 101, disappointing crowds who gathered from early morning to watch the historic attempt.
TAIPEI 101 FREE CLIMB DELAYED
REPORTER:
Hundreds gathered in Taipei before sunrise to watch free climbing legend Alex Honnold take on Taipei 101 in an attempt televised around the world, but the weather had other plans.
REPORTER:
US climber Alex Honnold’s plans to climb Taipei 101 were foiled by the weather on Saturday, disappointing the hundreds of fans that showed up early for the spectacle.
I’m quite disappointed I can’t see him today. But safety first and if it has to be pushed back until tomorrow so be it, I’ll show up tomorrow and see him perform then!
Honnold’s plan is to stream his Free Solo ascent of the half-kilometer tower live on Netflix -- meaning he will climb it without ropes or protective equipment.
REPORTER:
Given the very real risk of death if he makes a mistake, members of the production team told TaiwanPlus on Thursday that the attempt could be delayed if rain makes the building’s glass and steel facade too slippery to ascend safely.
I’m from the Marshall Islands and I’m here to see someone who embodies the human spirit, which is definitely limitless. He shows that if we put our mind to it, you can definitely achieve something great. And yeah, it’s postponed but, hey, if it’s safer to see it another time, then it’s better to not see a tragic end.
It's a really big event for Taiwan as well, on the biggest person in climbing history is climbing Taipei 101!
I’ll come tomorrow, I'll come tomorrow.
I usually do rock climbing myself and I've also watched [Alex Honnold’s] documentary, so I thought that since this is the first time I've had the opportunity to see him climb in person, I'd really like to see him.
REPORTER:
Now Netflix has already moved the climb to Sunday, and you can be sure that at least some of these people will be here bright and early to watch the Free Solo legend try to make history again.
