The Real Spiderman

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lain Robert with his victory pose upon successfully scaling the Singapore Flyer (Photo Credit: By Lioneldude CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Meet Alain Robert, the real Spiderman. Like the other superhero, Alain likes to climb tall structures. However, he doesn't need to cast a web in order to climb - he does it with his bare hands.

Alain's climbing career began at the age of 12 when he forgot the keys to his apartment on the eighth floor. Too impatient to wait for his parents to return, he decided to climb the exterior of the building and get in from the patio.

At the age of 19 and 20 he suffered two significant falls, breaking several bones. Doctors told him he was sixty percent handicapped and could never climb again. However, six months later Alain was climbing again.

Alain climbing Climbing the Agbar Tower in Spain
(Photo Credit: By Mutari (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

Over the years, Alain has climbed many famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Opera House in Sydney. He has also scaled some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world including the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia and the Sears Tower in the USA, which ended up being one of his most challenging climbs. Nearing the top of the 110-story building, Alain encountered thick fog that covered the glass and metal wall of the last 20 floors with moisture, making it very slippery. Slowly and steadily, he managed to overcome it and get to the top.

While Alain has a huge fan following throughout the world, he is not very popular with the police, since what he does is so dangerous. He, therefore, has to be very secretive about which building he is going to conquer next. He simply shows up early in the morning and starts climbing. So the next time you are walking near a tall building, make sure you look around - Spiderman may be in town!

Meanwhile, enjoy the two videos of this amazing man, the first one is a recent climb he did in London, which got him arrested, and the other, a slightly older but equally amazing climb in France.

Sources: Wikipedia.org, alainrobert.com

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221 Comments
  • jays12almost 12 years
    its a bird its a plane its spiderman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • schoolboy
      schoolboyalmost 12 years
      The real spiderman climbed up the highest tower because he used his hands and feet. I wish I could be spiderman because I would climb all the way up and save all the people. I think the guy was tired of climbing that tower because I saw a video when he was climbing it. The real spiderman climbed all the way up, he made it all the way to the top! I would be a spiderman so I could save peoploe. When a person falls down, I will save them with my web.But, i don't really like the dangerouse thing.If he fall down, Maybe will di(die)!
      • youtubeabout 12 years
        that was so cool it was not even funny
        • Tankabout 12 years
          This guy is crazy
          • cu bemonioabout 12 years
            cool
            • detectiveabout 12 years
              I think spiderman is really cool.I think the real spiderman though could not beat the comic version but I would really want to be able to climb buildings like him.Also has anyone seen mystery
              • korea333
                korea333about 12 years
                How's he gonna get down?? I can imagine my self there as a little kid. "Mommy look! It's Spiderman!!!!!!!"
                • niceover 12 years
                  so brave: m parents dont let me do those
                  • sifhsggzdover 12 years
                    wow cool :] iguess lol wat are u looking at
                    • AmmarKisatover 12 years
                      i lov this guy i wish i had this skill