By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Editor & Publisher
I have seen inside what was once the world’s tallest skyscraper, Taipei 101, from the inside.
American daredevill rock climber Alex Honnold saw it from the outside. He was on the building, not inside of it. He climbed it, all 1,6677 feet (508 meters) of it, without ropes. Better him than me. Of course, I wondered how the heck he got down from the top. He was not the first person to climb the building; in 2004 French rock climber Alain Robert scaled it on Christmas Day as part of its grand opening. But, unlike Honnold, Robert used ropes to achieve the feat.
I have been Taipei 101 and can tell you that it’s pretty danged high in the air. I took the elevator up, up and up to the Observatory, a large room with 360 degree views of Taipai and seemingly all of Taiwan for that matter. Not once did it occur to me to try getting there by climbing the outside of the building.
I did, tho, stand on the glass walkway and looked at the ground below me. I don’t have have a fear of heights, as long as I know I won’t fall, anway. And since others were on the glass walkway I figured it was safe enough for me.
The whole experience was much like some other observation decks I had been to in the past, tho the CN Tower in Toronto provided the biggest thrill. Riding up that glass elevator with the ground quickly getting smaller beyond my feet was exhilarating. Looking out at people actually walking around the outer part of it – they were tethered – was exciting. Tho I would not do it. Better to have a drink at the bar.
I spent maybe 45 minutes at the Taipei 101 observation deck. Once I walked around it a few times and took photos, I reached that “okay, I’ve done this” moment. I only spent that much time because I wanted to milk as much out of my money (frankly, I forgot how much it cost then; now it’s NT$600, or about $20 USD so it’s not expensive) while I was there. I went in the daytime and not at night, which would have been a different experience. Seeing it while climbing up the outside of the building is an experience for Honnold and Robert, tho, and not for me.
This story was written by a human with no assistance from AI or ChatGTP.
Leave a Reply