May 23, 2013
Daredevil climber Alain Robert, known as the French Spiderman, successfully climbed the world's highest steel tower in China on Saturday.
The 388-meter-high Central Plains Fortaleza in Zhengzhou City, capital of central China's Henan Province, is the target of the Spiderman this time, although Alain will only be climbing to a platform 268 meters high. The tower, as the province's radio and television tower, has been the city's most prominent landmark.
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Robert is famous for scaling the world's tallest skyscrapers with no safety equipment except for a small bag of chalk and climbing shoes. He has climbed more than 70 giant structures around the globe.
This time, 50-year-old Alain climbed from the height of 103 meters along the glass surface of the tower's outer frame. He took a short break after reaching the platform at the height of 171 meters. Between the height of 200 meters and 250 meters, there is a section in the shape of downward-pointing triangle, where Alain climbed up a slope angled 30 degrees over the ground.
During the climb, two giant suction cups played an important role in assisting the climber. The suction cups with 20-centimeter diameters can bear a tension of 150 kilograms.
The climb lasted nearly two hours, finishing at about 11:45.
The French climber, who had been arrested more than 100 times for scaling heights without permit, had applied for a permit this time.
