The real-life spiderman, Frenchman Alain Robert, climbed up the Four Seasons hotel in Central using his bare hands on Tuesday afternoon.Mr Robert told journalists he made the climb to help promote awareness about global warming.
The 45-year-old urban climber began the climb about 1.00pm. He then spent 45 minutes climbing up to the hotel's 26-storey high balcony.
Police and firemen have deployed air cushion units under the hotel. More than 100 onlookers at the pedestrian level and office workers were watching while he climbed.
The Four Seasons hotel is part of the International Finance Centre. It has a height of 206m – 60-storeys – and is the largest Four Seasons hotel.
A spokesman from the Four Seasons hotel said although they had not been informed about the climb, they had no intention to take legal action over it.
Mr Robert told local media that he had wanted to climb IFC II, but was worried he might have been sued by the property's owner. He also said the air conditioning systems on the balcony of the building would have increased the difficulty of the climb.
He is also in town to promote his memoir With Bare Hands. The book is about his story and philosophy of being one of the world's leading urban climbers. On Tuesday night, he will appear at a literary dinner at SoHo SoHo to discuss his new memoir.
He once told a journalist that “I cannot do any normal job... I plan the climb so I know what to expect,” he said. “It is rare I can't climb a building – it's only the law that will stop me, not the building.”
Alain Robert has scaled 85 giant structures around the globe including many of the world's tallest structures, most of which he has scaled using only his bare hands and climbing shoes.
He has also climbed some of the world's most famous buildings. These include the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House and the Montparnasse Tower in Paris, along with some very tall skyscrapers.
Mr Robert is well-known in Hong Kong and the mainland.
On May 31, 2007, he scaled China's highest skyscraper, the 88-story Jin Mao Building in Shanghai. For this climb he wore a Spiderman costume. Robert was later arrested and jailed for five days. He was then expelled from the mainland. Then in November 2007, Mr Robert was invited by the local government of Zhangjiajie, a region in the southern province of Hunan, to climb the 1,518 metres Tianmen mountain, to promote tourism.
On June 11, 2005 he climbed the Cheung Kong Centre in Hong Kong and the Far East Financial Centre in 1996.
SCMP. Apr. 15, 2008
5 comments:
I don't really appreciate what he did. It is so dangerous.
By the way, are you alright? Though I did have a great time of our so-called English lesson today, we still worried about you. Take care!
Thanks, Leo. I'm ok now.
About that guy, what he's been doing is dangerous to himself and others. You're right.
you know~actually i have dreamed to be one of these men before~this is totally crazy~i have dreamed i am the one who can jump from one rooftop to another rooftop ~this is awesome ~!
Frankly speaking ~these activities were very dangerous and behind these exciting shots ~many training is needed there~
But i believe practise makes perfects~
Doesn't he will get caught where reach the ground~?
He's on private property, and I'm sure he got the approval from the management of the property
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