Alain Robert, aka the French Spiderman, is a free solo climber. From the Sydney Opera House to the Burj Khalifa he has ascended the world's most recognisable buildings with no safety equipment. His death-defying feats have made him a global superstar; Sport360 caught up with him in Dubai.
Sport360: Why did you start climbing?
AR: The seed was planted almost 40 years ago, when I saw a film called The Grieving Snow. I was eight, and this story of two brothers searching for injured people on Mont Blanc changed the way I looked at the world. As a boy, I was lacking in self-confidence, afraid of everything. I wanted to be courageous like those brothers. I was really inspired by it and realized that that is what I want to do. I still didn’t know exactly how I was going to make it, but for sure I wanted to become a climber.
What is your favourite climb ever and why?
If I had to pick one it would be the Twin Petronas Towers in Kuala Lampur, mainly because of the story. It took 12 years for me to complete the ascent as I got caught by the authorities three times. Twice they caught me on the 60th floor and the third time I made it to the top, which is a climb of 452 metres above ground. I just stood at the top of the tower which was a truly amazing feeling.
You have climbed the Burj Khalifa in the Middle East, but do the sweaty desert conditions make it harder to climb?
The conditions in Dubai are not any worse than the tropical climates of Singapore or Kuala Lampur where I have climbed. I will make sure if I am climbing in the Middle East that I climb from January to March so that the weather is comfortable. I stood 828 metres above ground at the top of the Burj Khalifa which was a long and difficult ascent. I was doing it tethered which was a demand of Sheikh Mohammad so I had no other option, accepted the climb like that and it was a lot of fun.
Have you sustained any injuries that have made you think twice about what you do?
I have fallen a few times in my life and even though it was a big issue as I was badly injured, at the back of my mind I was still thinking "how am I going to get back?" I just wanted to get back to climbing and I couldn’t give up. My worst accident was in 1982 when I fell 15 metres and fractured both forearms, my elbow, pelvis and nose. I was just 19 years old and climbing was my life so I just couldn’t give up.
How do friends and family worried about what you do?
They are of course worried because every time I do an ascent, realistically it could be the last one. But I do not think the danger is such a big issue as these people know I have been doing it my whole life, almost 41 years of climbing and I’m still here.
What would you say to a young person looking to get involved in free solo climbing?
Maybe think twice about it first and if you are still going to do it be well prepared. If climbing is something that they feel in their hearts, then it will work for sure.
Have the authorities become less strict on you during your career?
I have been banned from several countries but the only one that I still can’t go to is Australia. Previously I have been banned from China, Thailand and a few others. In Sydney I have been arrested four or five times, so they are starting to become less rigid against me. In France, USA and UK what I do is not considered a crime, they call it a misdemeanor charge. They charge you for being reckless or trespassing but only on a very small level.
