By Joeseph George www.emirates247.com
“Finally, there was nothing more to climb. I was on top of the world,” said Alain Robert describing his feelings after completing his six hour-long climb to the top of the Burj Khalifa.
“It was a bit too windy and cold and the climb was not easy. As I was nearing the topmost floors the effect of the wind could be clearly felt. It felt as if the building was wavering,” he said.
“The more I went up, the tougher it got. The last bit was especially tough. It was all spiral and smooth and a lot of concrete. I had to use a safety harness and an auto-locker.
But finally I did it. I just wanted to reach the top,” he added.
“I started climbing just a few minutes before six o’ clock. During the first half of the climb, I rested for 10 minutes between intervals. But I increased the speed during the latter half,” said Robert.
Once completing the climb at 12.15am, in a little over six hours, Robert was awarded the Guinness World Record.
Speaking to Emirates 24|7 just before leaving for the award ceremony Robert said, “I want to encourage this spirit among people when they dare to attempt what they want to do.”
Robert will deliver a lecture this afternoon at the Higher College of Technology as part of the sixth Education Without Borders World Forum.
Robert has climbed high-rises unofficially and at times even risked arrest. He says he has not yet planned which building he will climb next. “Although I know it will be sometime in the middle of May. But I am not sure if I will be able to get an official permission. But I do not care. I will just go ahead and climb the towers that I want to. I have my lawyers. However, I am not always a bad boy. At times I am a good boy and in Dubai I was one,” he said.
The “French Spider-Man” Alain Robert last night conquered the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa.
Dressed in red leggings and a white shirt, Robert began his 828metre climb at 6.03pm, reaching the summit just after midnight, displaying, in his own words, “the spirit to dare and succeed.”
The entire event was earlier cast into doubt as high winds battered Dubai and delayed his 4.30pm departure by more than an hour.
The Frenchman, who has earned a reputation for scrambling up some of the world’s tallest towers, began edging his way up a corner crease from his start point on the fourth floor.
After darkness fell, a spotlight traced the 48-year-old’s progress up the tower.
The safety harness was a condition for being granted permission to climb the landmark, which has been his ambition long before the building was completed at the start of last year.
Hundreds of onlookers watched in absolute admiration from the Dubai Fountain adjacent to the Burj Khalifa.
Crowds continued to watch until Roberts disappeared into the sky.
M Hafiz from Indonesia who was busy trying his best to zoom his camera said, “I did not know about the climb until I came here. All of a sudden people started looking up and pointing the finger at this man. It is simply great,” he said.
Most of them had gathered there to see the fountain, but were thrilled to see the climb. Children were screaming “Spiderman”, as they spotted him moving up floor after floor.
The Frenchman has also climbed all of the world’s buildings which had previously laid claim to the title of the world’s tallest, including the 508metre Taipei 101 and the 450-metre Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. He has also successfully climbed several other buildings in the UAE and next aims to scale the Burj Al Arab.
Instead of stopping at the top of the building, he continued to climb the antenna at the top. However, that feat posed some particular challenges.
M Hafiz from Indonesia who was busy trying his best to zoom his camera said, “I did not know about the climb until I came here. All of a sudden people started looking up and pointing the finger at this man. It is simply great,” he said.
Most of them had gathered there to see the fountain, but were thrilled to see the climb. Children were screaming “Spiderman”, as they spotted him moving up floor after floor.
Tarika Vara from the Guinness World Records was on hand is here to adjudicate that Robert was successful in his attempt.
