Netflix reschedules Alex Honnold’s Taipei 101 climb as climate circumstances trigger security issues
The thrill-seeker will take on the climbing challenge live on Netflix 24 hours later than planned due to rainy weather conditions in Taipei creating further risk
(Image: Corey Rich/Netflix)
Netflix have postponed Alex Honnold’s already death-defying climb due to rain creating further risks for the thrill-seeker. American rock climber Honnold was set to scale the Taipei 101 skyscraper in a live broadcast on Netflix but poor weather conditions mean the nail-biting event has been pushed back.
The 40-year-old was set to climb the 1,667ft tower in Taiwan without a safety rope or net, but a last minute call on the weather means the climb will be rescheduled. The broadcast was meant to occur at at 9am local time, 1am on Saturday morning, January 24, in the UK.
Just half an hour before the high-risk mount was due to be broadcast the streaming service announced there would be a delay due to rain. The risk-taker will now mount the building a full day later, Sunday morning in the UK.
Weather is expected to improve during this time and there should be less of a slippery surface caused by the drizzle. Netflix said that the decision would be left in Honnold’s hands as his life is on the line.
The broadcasters announcement said: “Skyscraper Live was originally scheduled to air on January 23. Due to weather conditions, the live event is postponed, and will now stream on Saturday, January 24 at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT.”
The event will now last for two hours on Sunday morning for UK viewers. Due to a life being on the line the live broadcast will have a small delay of 10 seconds, just in case anything happens to the daredevil.
Honnold has explained that the challenge could be an “uncomfotable watch”.
“I’m sure viewers will probably be on edge watching this,” Honnold told Tudum. “I assume that most people will be sort of uncomfortable watching the whole thing.
“But I hope that viewers get a little bit of my joy from the experience — that they can appreciate the fun of it and the beauty of it, the scenery, just the whole experience. It’s not just extreme sports — it’s more.”
He’s also addressed the fact that he could leave his two young daughters without a father. He has two girls, June, born in 2022, and Alice, who is one.
“Baby Alice wouldn’t remember. Baby June probably wouldn’t remember. She’ll be 4 in another month,” he said. “It’d be felt, and obviously it’d be super hard for [wife] Sanni, but they’d be well provided for.
“I don’t feel like I’d be leaving them in the lurch. They wouldn’t even necessarily be traumatised their whole lives.”
