Alex Honnold is one of — if not the most — famous names in the rock climbing world. Known for ascending massive structures without any safety equipment, his fearless and calm nature has made him one of the most recognized figures in extreme sports.
Honnold first gained widespread fame on June 3, 2017, when he became the first person to free solo El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The nearly 3,000-foot granite wall is considered so difficult that even in recent years it was newsworthy when a climber was able to summit using ropes for safety. Honnold did it without any. He ascended in 3 hours and 56 minutes, pulling himself over the rocky lip of the summit at 9:28 a.m. under a clear sky.
The specific route Honnold climbed is called Freerider — a route that traces El Capitan’s face across 33 pitches of vertical granite. Freerider features notable challenges including the Monster Offwidth, a grueling wide crack, and the Boulder Problem pitch — the crux of the entire route, requiring one extremely precise and difficult move. The climb did not happen overnight. The free solo was the culmination of an eight-year dream, with the final year and a half devoted entirely to preparation — climbing the route repeatedly with ropes to memorize every movement before attempting it without. The mental barrier was just as significant as the physical one: Honnold spent years conditioning himself to attempt the route knowing that a single mistake would be fatal.
The achievement was documented in the film “Free Solo,” directed by E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Most recently, on January 25, 2026, Honnold took on an entirely different kind of challenge. For 92 minutes on a clear Sunday morning in Taipei, thousands of spectators stared upward while people across the world watched on their screens as Honnold scaled Taipei 101 — one of the tallest skyscrapers on Earth — without ropes, safety nets or any protective equipment. The climb was broadcast live on Netflix with a 10-second delay. The 40-year-old completed the 1,667-foot tower in 1 hour and 31 minutes, becoming the first person ever to free solo the building.
The middle 64 floors — known as the “bamboo boxes” for the building’s signature stacked design — posed the greatest challenge, featuring steep, overhanging climbs followed by narrow balconies where
Honnold paused briefly to rest. Honnold is now recognized as one of the greatest climbers of all time. His physical strength, combined with a mental composure that few athletes in any sport can match, has produced achievements that will be studied and celebrated for generations.