Who Is Alex Honnold? Facts About the American Rock Climber
A Netflix livestream showed the 40-year-old recently scaling the Taipei 101 skyscraper without any safety gear.
Published on Jan 26, 2026
Did you catch the Netflix livestream last Sunday?
If not, here’s what you missed: World-renowned climber Alex Honnold just completed another headline-making free solo. After his historic ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan in 2017, Alex took on Taipei 101, successfully climbing the skyscraper without ropes in just one hour and 31 minutes.
The feat aired live on Netflix on Sunday, January 25, and the internet has been abuzz ever since. Many viewers were especially astonished by the speed of his climb, with one user quipping that he reached the top faster than a waitlist at Din Tai Fung.
For the unacquainted, Alex is widely recognized for his rope-free ascents of formidable rock faces and architectural landmarks alike. For his Taipei 101 conquest, the American athlete scaled all 1,667 feet using only narrow L-shaped ledges for handholds and footholds.
Ahead, here are some essential facts to know about him.
Who Is Alex Honnold? What You Need to Know About the Viral Rock Climber
He’s from Sacramento, California
Born on August 17, 1985, Alex is the son of community college professor Dierdre Wolownick and Charles Honnold. He is currently 40 years old.
He started climbing at five years old.
He began going to a climbing gym at age five. By 10, he was already training regularly and competed in national and international youth championships throughout his teenage years.
He studied civil engineering.
A graduate of Mira Loma High School’s International Baccalaureate Programme in 2003, Alex enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, to pursue civil engineering. However, in his first year, his maternal grandfather passed away and his parents divorced. He would also often skip lectures to boulder at Indian Rock.
He eventually dropped out to dedicate himself fully to climbing, driving across California in search of new mountains to climb.
He lived in a van for more than a decade.
For over 10 years, Alex resided in a Ford Econoline E150, using the van as a mobile base while traveling across the United States to chase optimal conditions, particularly in the Yosemite area.
He first gained widespread recognition as the first person to free solo El Capitan.
In 2017, Alex reached the summit of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite monolith in Yosemite National Park, without protective gear. The accomplishment marked the first rope-free ascent of the full route, cementing his place in climbing history.
He’s married with two kids.
Alex is currently married to Sanni McCandless, whom he met at a book signing in 2015. They announced their engagement in December 2019, and tied the knot in September 2020. The couple now has two daughters, June and Alice Summer.
His mother holds her own El Capitan record.
Alex's mom, Dierdre Wolownick, began climbing at 60. At 66, she became the oldest woman to summit El Capitan, then surpassed her own record four years later at age 70.
His documentary “Free Solo” won an Oscar in 2018.
Free Solo (2018), directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, documents Alex’s pursuit of his rope-free El Capitan ascent. The National Geographic film examines his meticulous preparation, the psychological demands of the climb, and the ethical considerations faced by the crew filming a life-or-death undertaking.
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