Yes, this past week he was doing a lot of practice with a rope. This building isn't new to him. He's also climbed it in previous years I believe.

I'd assume - unlike El Capitan - the pitches here are all pretty much identical, so by the time he got to the third or fourth floor he had it figured out

If you watch the climb you'll see that the skyscraper definitely wasn't quite so straightforward - there were some interesting challenges along the way.

Of course, no question El Cap was technically far more challenging.

He must have. My impression from the documentary is that he practice the climb route many times with safety gear first.

Yes. You can see him here climb with ropes: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/24/world/video/alex-honnold-...

It would be insanely reckless to free solo without practicing first.

In the rain! Here's another video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljtXTBenYlc