- Title: UAE: FRENCH 'SPIDERMAN' ALAIN ROBERT SCALES THE ETISALET BUILDING IN ABU DHABI
- Date: 18th February 2005
- Summary: (BN06) ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (FEBRUARY 18, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. PAN UP: ETISALAT BUILDING 0.12 2. VARIOUS OF CROWDS WAITING FOR ALAIN ROBERT (3 SHOTS) 0.35 3. VARIOUS OF ROBERT PUTTING ON SHOES (3 SHOTS) 0.56 4. ZOOM OUT: CROWD WATCHING 1.08 5. ROBERT PREPARING TO CLIMB AND SAYING "I feel a little bit under pressure" 1.31 6. VARIOUS OF ROBERT CLIMBING AND CROWD WATCHING (8 SHOTS) 3.03 7. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), LYNN ZOVIKIAN, STUDENT, SAYING: "For me that's just crazy, it's not worth the risk and I would...I can't look because it's just nauseating!" 3.15 8. VARIOUS OF ROBERT GETTING CLOSER TO THE TOP / STANDING AT THE TOP AND WAVING TO CROWD 3.50 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th March 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- Reuters ID: LVACBJ0E42REYCA5FFW7O86A1FXD
- Story Text: French 'Spiderman' Alain Robert scales 150m building
in Abu Dhabi with his bare hands.
French daredevil climber Alain Robert is back in the
United Arab Emirates to scale the Etisalat building in the
capital, Abu Dhabi. This time around he is performing this
feat to raise awareness for the International Education
Without Borders conference taking place on the 10th of
February.
Dressed in red pants and a white shirt adorned with images
of Sheikh Zayed Al-Nahyan, the late ruler of the United
Arab Emirates, Robert began climbing at 5:40pm local time
and reached the top of the national telecommunications
company building- all 25 stories- in 20 minutes. All the
while Robert would stop in his tracks every few floors to
ham it up and teased the crowd by facing them, waving and
pausing in contorted positions. Spectators seemed more
nervous about the feat than he was. Lynn Zovikian, a
student, felt the feat was too much to stomach: "For me
that's just crazy, it's not worth the risk and I would...I
can't look because it's just nauseating!" she said.
It was an unusually warm and sunny day in Abu Dhabi after
the past few weeks of temperatures dropping across the
country. Approximately 80 000 people showed up downtown Abu
Dhabi to watch the French Spiderman, cheering and clapping
throughout his 150m ascent.
The 43 year-old Robert- dubbed 'Spiderman' for climbing
mountains and buildings with his bare hands- has scaled the
heights of international landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower
in Paris, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the
Sears Tower in Chicago and the Sydney Opera in Australia
and the world's tallest skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur. Having
made a good living out of this death defying career, he
often climbs for charity and has at times performed without
proper authorization, which has resulted in numerous stints
in jail.
Robert had two serious accidents during the 1980s that left
him with massive injuries and a clinical diagnosis of
vertigo. Nevertheless, after a year of recuperation, his
adventurous desire to aim higher seems to have only
intensified. The French Spiderman has beaten world records
and is the most famous 'urban climber'. His incredible
achievements stem not only from his physical fitness, but
also from intense mental control. So much so that Robert
has been invited to to international conferences as a
motivational speaker.
Robert climbed the National Bank of Abu Dhabi- the tallest
building in the Emirate- in 2003 to raise awareness for the
same conference. However, today's feat was more difficult
despite the fact that the Etisalat Building is about 50
meters shorter: The building's wide window panes and slippery surface
p
resented a serious challenge. But Robert
managed to reach the top smoothly by keeping a small bag
full of white powder handy to ensure a good grip.
In the near future he is planning on climbing 5 major
buildings in 5 continents in collaboration with the United
Nations. Dubai's prestigious Burj Al Arab- the world's only
7 star hotel- is also in the works.
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