Rock Climber Alex Honnold’s Free Solo of the Skyscraper Taipei 101 is now the Most Watched Climbing Event in History, becoming the Third Highest Rated Programme on Netflix Last Week. In less than two hours, Honnold set a record for the longest urban free solo in history, climbing to the top of the 11th tallest building in the world without any safety gear – and even taking a moment take a no-hands rest at the top of his Skyscraper Live ascent. Now it’s dividing opinion in the climbing world and beyond, as the ethical debate around broadcasting dangerous climbing objectives via livestream rages on. In this video essay, Hannah Morris Bouldering speaks to professional climbers Dave MacLeod, one half of WideBoyz Pete Whittaker, and urban solo climber Alexis Landot, to ask questions about Alex Honnold that we all want to know.

Can we justify broadcasting free solo climbing?
How hard was Taipei 101 for Alex Honnold?
Is free solo climbing reckless and stupid?
Does it forecast a worrying trajectory for the entertainment industry?
Was Skyscraper Live good or bad for climbing?