| He is the world's most accomplished urban | | | | by the International Olympic Committee. |
| climber. He has scaled more than 85 buildings | | | | |
| around the globe; including, the Eiffel | | | | It was in 1994 that he began free solo |
| Tower, the Sydney Opera House, and the | | | | climbing of the world's tallest urban |
| Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, | | | | structures that would earn him the nickname |
| Malaysia. His long list of urban climbing | | | | of the "French Spiderman". He recently said |
| conquests also includes the Taipei 101 in | | | | that his most challenging urban climb was the |
| Taiwan, the Sears Tower in Chicago, the | | | | Sears Tower in Chicago Illinois in 1999. Fog |
| Empire State Building in New York, and most | | | | encompassed the glass and metal of the Tower |
| of the world's tallest skyscrapers, bridges, | | | | above the 90th floor making the last twenty |
| and buildings. | | | | floors of the climb dangerously slippery with |
| | | | moisture. However, his difficult, slow, |
| To avoid arrest, he usually arrives at the | | | | strenuous climb ended successfully when he |
| base of the building that will be his | | | | once again reached the top. |
| climbing target at dawn. Sometimes he is | | | | |
| dressed as Spiderman. Often he is not. At | | | | Last week the French Spiderman could be seen |
| times, his climbs are part of a paid | | | | climbing urban buildings once again. This |
| commercial venture, although most are done | | | | time he successfully scaled Hong Kong's Four |
| for publicity and the personal thrill of the | | | | Seasons Hotel, a 45-story building and his |
| climbing conquest. | | | | third known urban climb in that city. To |
| | | | succeed, he had to escape Hong Kong police, |
| Alain Robert (also known as the French | | | | which had been tipped off about a possible |
| Spiderman) has been climbing since childhood. | | | | illegal ascent in the city. Robert used the |
| He is a legendary rock and urban free solo | | | | climb to promote greater awareness and |
| climber who has also become an accomplished | | | | international action for the cause of global |
| motivational speaker. His urban climbs are | | | | warming. He would be briefly detained by |
| dangerous and do not include rope or rigging. | | | | authorities after the climb before being |
| He uses only his hands, chalk, and climbing | | | | released. |
| shoes. So, small protrusions in buildings, | | | | |
| such as windows and ledges, are his climbing | | | | In fact, the French Spiderman has been |
| friends. | | | | arrested and fined more than 100 times for |
| | | | illegally climbing the world's tallest urban |
| However, the most unusual aspect of Alain | | | | structures during the last two decades. Last |
| Robert is that he has been handicapped | | | | year, in China, he was jailed and then |
| because of vertigo while climbing the earth's | | | | deported after making an urban climb of an 88 |
| most difficult rock formations and the | | | | story skyscraper called the Jin Mao Tower. He |
| world's tallest buildings for the last twenty | | | | was wearing a Spiderman suit during the |
| five years. He is handicapped from serious | | | | climb. |
| injuries that occurred from two separate | | | | |
| falls of nearly fifty feet when he was around | | | | Many would ask why a person would risk the |
| the age of nineteen. | | | | extreme danger of climbing the world's |
| | | | tallest structures? Alain Robert answers as |
| His injuries were diagnosed as multiple | | | | follows : "I am doing it for the thrill, for |
| fractures to his cranium, nose, wrists, | | | | that feeling of danger and freedom. This is |
| elbows, pelvis, and heels. In addition, the | | | | my way of expressing myself... We set |
| French National Health Organization declared | | | | ourselves limits, but we are all strong |
| him 60% handicapped with a disease of the | | | | enough to aim higher, to achieve our goals. |
| inner ear (vertigo). The medical prognosis | | | | All we have to do is find such strength |
| was that he would never climb again. However, | | | | within ourselves. Know how to develop it... I |
| that dire prognosis would be proven incorrect | | | | do think that sometimes faith can move |
| less than twelve months later, as he resumed | | | | mountains". |
| practicing rock climbing again. | | | | |
| | | | A love for climbing and danger, the physical |
| The climbing persistence of Alain Robert | | | | demands of endurance and dexterity, the |
| would pay off several years later. Robert | | | | mental strength of courage and persistence, |
| would be given an award for climbing at the | | | | but most of all a feeling of freedom by |
| Janssens Festival. In 1993, he achieved a | | | | conquering personal boundaries and limits. |
| world record for the most extreme solo | | | | All of these endearing human qualities become |
| performance in the gorge of the Verdon in the | | | | apparent in the French Spiderman's climb to |
| south of France. He was also given an award | | | | the top. |