The French Spiderman's Climb to the Top

He is the world's most accomplished urban climber.also given an award by the International Olympic
He has scaled more than 85 buildings around theCommittee.
globe; including, the Eiffel Tower, the SydneyIt was in 1994 that he began free solo climbing of
Opera House, and the Petronas Twin Towers inthe world's tallest urban structures that would
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His long list of urbanearn him the nickname of the "French Spiderman".
climbing conquests also includes the Taipei 101 inHe recently said that his most challenging urban
Taiwan, the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Empireclimb was the Sears Tower in Chicago Illinois in
State Building in New York, and most of the1999. Fog encompassed the glass and metal of
world's tallest skyscrapers, bridges, and buildings.the Tower above the 90th floor making the last
To avoid arrest, he usually arrives at the base oftwenty floors of the climb dangerously slippery
the building that will be his climbing target at dawn.with moisture. However, his difficult, slow,
Sometimes he is dressed as Spiderman. Often hestrenuous climb ended successfully when he once
is not. At times, his climbs are part of a paidagain reached the top.
commercial venture, although most are done forLast week the French Spiderman could be seen
publicity and the personal thrill of the climbingclimbing urban buildings once again. This time he
conquest.successfully scaled Hong Kong's Four Seasons
Alain Robert (also known as the FrenchHotel, a 45-story building and his third known
Spiderman) has been climbing since childhood. He isurban climb in that city. To succeed, he had to
a legendary rock and urban free solo climber whoescape Hong Kong police, which had been tipped
has also become an accomplished motivationaloff about a possible illegal ascent in the city.
speaker. His urban climbs are dangerous and doRobert used the climb to promote greater
not include rope or rigging. He uses only his hands,awareness and international action for the cause
chalk, and climbing shoes. So, small protrusions inof global warming. He would be briefly detained by
buildings, such as windows and ledges, are hisauthorities after the climb before being released.
climbing friends.In fact, the French Spiderman has been arrested
However, the most unusual aspect of Alainand fined more than 100 times for illegally climbing
Robert is that he has been handicapped becausethe world's tallest urban structures during the last
of vertigo while climbing the earth's most difficulttwo decades. Last year, in China, he was jailed
rock formations and the world's tallest buildingsand then deported after making an urban climb of
for the last twenty five years. He is handicappedan 88 story skyscraper called the Jin Mao Tower.
from serious injuries that occurred from twoHe was wearing a Spiderman suit during the climb.
separate falls of nearly fifty feet when he wasMany would ask why a person would risk the
around the age of nineteen.extreme danger of climbing the world's tallest
His injuries were diagnosed as multiple fracturesstructures? Alain Robert answers as follows : "I
to his cranium, nose, wrists, elbows, pelvis, andam doing it for the thrill, for that feeling of danger
heels. In addition, the French National Healthand freedom. This is my way of expressing
Organization declared him 60% handicapped with amyself... We set ourselves limits, but we are all
disease of the inner ear (vertigo). The medicalstrong enough to aim higher, to achieve our goals.
prognosis was that he would never climb again.All we have to do is find such strength within
However, that dire prognosis would be provenourselves. Know how to develop it... I do think
incorrect less than twelve months later, as hethat sometimes faith can move mountains".
resumed practicing rock climbing again.A love for climbing and danger, the physical
The climbing persistence of Alain Robert woulddemands of endurance and dexterity, the mental
pay off several years later. Robert would bestrength of courage and persistence, but most of
given an award for climbing at the Janssensall a feeling of freedom by conquering personal
Festival. In 1993, he achieved a world record forboundaries and limits. All of these endearing human
the most extreme solo performance in the gorgequalities become apparent in the French
of the Verdon in the south of France. He wasSpiderman's climb to the top.