One man turned a global skyscraper into his most dangerous destination of all: 'Pretty surreal'

Daredevil climber Alex Honnold took extreme travel to new heights on Saturday, Jan. 24, as he scaled the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan with no ropes or protective equipment — conquering the building's most challenging element, the bamboo boxes. 

The American's climb was broadcast live on Netflix with a 10-second delay on "Skyscraper Live."

The two-hour event took place at 8 p.m. EST in the United States. Before the climb, Honnold appeared calm — at least on the surface — when he arrived with his wife, Sanni McCandless. As he prepared, he was shown donning custom shoes to navigate the glass and steel.

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"I think people assume I’m just terrified, but I’ve seen the work," his wife Sanni McCandless told Netflix's Tudum. "My job is to be the person he sees at the top who reminds him he’s a dad and a husband, not just a climber."

Honnold, a professional rock climber, started at the southeast corner of the building. During the broadcast, he could be seen looking down at times and smiling at spectators on the street. Fans inside the building were observed taking pictures of him on their phones.

"The view is amazing," Honnold told Netflix announcers. "Honestly, it's pretty surreal."

When Honnold finally neared the end of his climb, he sat on a ledge. 

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"I'm good," he said. "I'm tired, for sure. ... I am trying to pace myself."

He still had to ascend the rings and spire. 

As he finally reached the top, he waved.

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"You've done it. You've made history," the announcer said. "This is something you've imagined your entire life."

Honnold declared, "This is so cool. I am so psyched and pretty tired, actually."

For more than a decade, Honnold, a 40-year-old father of two based in Las Vegas, dreamed of climbing the 101-story building. 

The glass and steel skyscraper, which opened in Dec. 2004, was the world's tallest building until 2010. At 1,667 feet tall, the building can be spotted from almost anywhere in the city.

"I think I’ve always had curiosity about what it would feel like to climb a building this big," Honnold told Tudum recently. "I’ve climbed tons of huge walls in the world, but never something man-made like that."

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Honnold rose to fame in June 2017 as the first person to free solo a full route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. 

Climbing Taipei 101 was different, though, he said.

"The hardest part of the climb will be what we’re calling the 'bamboo boxes," Honnold told the same source ahead of time. 

"The boxes are definitely the most physically demanding part."

A psychological component factored in as well. 

California-based psychologist Michael Gervais, Ph.D., said he's known Honnold for about a decade. Gervais said Honnold is always deeply focused on what he's aiming to accomplish.

"He's committed to training. He's committed to a plan. He's committed to a process," the psychologist told Fox News Digital before the climb occurred. "He's committed to making sure he can become completely absorbed with the task at hand."

Gervais, who interviewed Honnold on his "Finding Mastery" podcast, said he believes Honnold "is one of the most significant athletes of our time. He has full command of his technical skills, full command of his physical skills and full command of his mental skills."

Sports psychologist Matthew Mikesell, Ph.D., of Minnesota said elite athletes think, "Where do I need to be at my peak? What routines and habits can I put in place to get there?"

Cheers erupted from the street-level crowd when Honnold reached the top of the spire of the 1,667-foot tower about 90 minutes after he started.

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Honnold could be seen waving his arms back and forth over his head.

"It was like, What a view, it’s incredible, what a beautiful day," he said afterward, The Associated Press reported. "It was very windy, so I was like, Don’t fall off the spire. I was trying to balance nicely. But it was, What an incredible position — what a beautiful way to see Taipei."

Honnold was paid for the event, though he has not shared his specific compensation in media interviews.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.