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Google employees capture jaw-dropping view of Alex Honnold climbing Taipei 101, Sundar Pichai shares rare office moment
Sundar Pichai posted photos taken by Google employees showing Alex Honnold scaling Taipei 101.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has shared a striking behind the scenes glimpse of American climber Alex Honnold scaling Taiwan’s iconic skyscraper, Taipei 101, without ropes or safety equipment.
Taking to Instagram, Pichai posted photographs captured by Google employees from the company’s office on the 75th floor.
Captioning the post, Pichai wrote, “Last time I visited Taipei 101, I just took the elevator up, apparently theres a different route. A few photos from Googlers with the ultimate view of Alex Honnold’s free solo of Taipei 101 from our office on the 75th floor! Congrats Alex on an amazing achievement.”
Take a look here at the post:
A historic climb in Taiwan
Honnold successfully scaled the 508 metre tall building in Taipei without a rope, harness or protective gear, adding another milestone to his career defined by extreme precision and mental control. Named for its 101 floors, the skyscraper is constructed from steel, glass and concrete and is designed to resemble a bamboo stalk, a symbol of resilience in Taiwanese culture.
The climb was initially scheduled for Saturday but had to be postponed due to wet weather conditions. Once underway, the ascent drew global attention and was streamed live on Netflix, which confirmed that a broadcast delay was built into the live feed as a safety precaution.
From Yosemite to Taipei
Honnold is already world famous for becoming the first person to climb El Capitan in California’s Yosemite National Park without ropes or safety equipment, a 915 metre granite wall considered one of the toughest climbs on the planet.
Taiwan’s Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim also praised the achievement, writing on X, “Congratulations to Alex Honnold on successfully completing the 101 climb! Though I admit I would probably feel sick, too, barely able to watch.”
