Alain Robert facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alain Robert
Robert in 2008
Born	Robert Alain Philippe (1962-08-07) 7 August 1962 (age 62) Digoin, France
Other names	French Spider-Man
Occupation	Climber
Known for	Scaling skyscrapers
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)

Robert climbing the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong in 2008

Alain Robert (born Robert Alain Philippe on 7 August 1962) is a famous French rock climber. He is also known as an urban climber. People often call him "the French Spider-Man" or "the Human Spider."

Alain Robert is famous for climbing huge skyscrapers. He does this without any safety ropes or special gear. He only uses a small bag of chalk and his climbing shoes.

How He Climbs Buildings

Alain Robert usually does not get official permission to climb these tall buildings. Because of this, he often has to sneak past security. He climbs secretly to avoid being stopped.

After he finishes a climb, police often wait for him. He has been stopped many times in different countries. Sometimes, though, he gets permission and even sponsors for his climbs.

His amazing rock-climbing skills help him climb buildings. He uses tiny parts of the walls and windows, like ledges and frames. Many of his climbs are very long and he cannot rest. He carries a small bag of chalk powder to help his grip.

His Amazing Climbs

Robert climbing Petronas Tower 2 in March 2007

Robert climbing the New York Times Building on 5 June 2008.

Robert on top of Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 2008

During ascent of the New York Times Building in 2008, Robert hangs Global warming kills more people than 9/11 every week banner

Alain Robert has climbed many famous buildings around the world. These include the Burj Khalifa, the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, and the Montparnasse Tower. Most of these climbs were done without any safety equipment.

In 1997, he tried to climb the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia. He was stopped by authorities on the 60th floor. He was still 28 floors from the top.

In 1998, he climbed the Luxor Obelisk in Paris. This monument is about 23 meters tall.

In 1999, Robert climbed the Marriott Hotel in Warsaw, which is 170 meters tall.

Later that year, he climbed the Sears Tower in Chicago. He used only chalk and shoes. Another climber had climbed it before, but used special tools.

In 2003, he legally climbed the National Bank of Abu Dhabi. About 100,000 people watched him. Sometimes, companies pay him to climb buildings for publicity.

For example, in 2003, he was paid about $18,000 to climb the Lloyd's building in London. This was to promote the Spider-Man movie.

In 2004, he climbed the Total oil company headquarters in Paris. He wore a Spider-Man costume for this 187-meter climb.

On Christmas Day 2004, Robert climbed Taipei 101 in Taiwan. This was just before it officially opened as the world's tallest building. The climb was allowed and part of the opening events. It rained heavily, so the 508-meter climb took him four hours.

In 2005, he climbed the Cheung Kong Centre in Hong Kong. He reached the top of the 62-story tower, climbing 283 meters.

In 2006, he climbed the Europa Tower in Lithuania. It is 148 meters tall. He used a safety rope but unclipped it several times.

He also climbed the Torre Vasco da Gama in Portugal for an advertisement.

In 2007, he climbed the Petronas Twin Towers again. He reached the 60th floor and then allowed himself to be stopped. He even waved the Malaysian flag.

Later in 2007, he climbed the 88-story Jin Mao Building in Shanghai. He wore his Spider-Man costume again. After this climb, he was detained and sent out of China.

In 2008, he climbed the New York Times Building in New York City. He put up a banner about global warming. He was then stopped by police on the roof.

In 2009, he successfully climbed to the very top of the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia. He started early in the morning and reached the top without being noticed at first. He was later fined for climbing without permission.

In 2011, Alain Robert climbed the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. This tower is 828 meters tall. For safety, he used a harness during this climb.

In 2012, he set a Guinness World Record. He climbed the 300-meter-high Aspire Tower in Qatar in just 1 hour, 33 minutes, and 47 seconds.

In 2018, he climbed the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea. This skyscraper has 123 stories.

In 2022, he climbed the Tour Total in Paris again. He did this to celebrate his 60th birthday. He wanted to show that age doesn't stop you from doing amazing things.

In 2024, he climbed the G.T. International Tower in the Philippines. He did this to show support for a topic about land disputes. He was stopped by police after his climb.

Notable Climbs Table

The table below shows some of the important buildings Alain Robert has climbed.

On 30 November 2023, he climbed the Burj Khalifa for a second time. He climbed with Alexis Landot.

Accidents and Injuries

Robert climbing Torre Agbar in Barcelona, 2007

Alain Robert has had several falls during his life. The most serious one happened in September 1982.

In January 1982, when he was 19, he fell 15 meters. His climbing gear broke. He broke his wrists, heels, and nose. He needed three operations.

In September 1982, at age 20, he fell another 15 meters. His rope came undone. He was in a coma for five days. He broke both forearms, his elbow, pelvis, and nose. He also had brain swelling and felt dizzy. He had six operations on his hands and elbow.

In 1993, he fell 8 meters while teaching students. He broke both wrists and was in a coma again. He spent two months in the hospital.

In 2004, he fell 2 meters while posing for a photo. He landed on his elbow and needed many stitches. Just one month later, he climbed Taipei 101, which was the world's tallest building at the time.

Books and Documentaries

Alain Robert wrote a book about his life called With Bare Hands. It was first published in English in 2008. The book tells his story from childhood to becoming a famous urban climber. It shares his ideas and how he overcame his injuries.

There is also a 52-minute documentary about him. It is called The Wall Crawler and was released in 1998.

The TV show Cutting Edge also featured him in an episode called The Human Spider in 2008.

Awards

• Faust Challenger of the Year (2011), Japan

See Also

In Spanish: Alain Robert para niños

• Harry Gardiner
• Dan Goodwin
• Ivan Kristoff
• Philippe Petit
• Owen Quinn
• George Willig