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This article was first published 11 years ago

In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'

Last updated on: February 8, 2013 10:34 IST

Image: Alain Robert of France, who is known as
Photographs: REUTERS

A French daredevil has scaled Cuba's famous 27-stoeried Habana Libre Hotel on Monday without ropes or a safety net.

Alain Robert succeeded in climbing to the top of the hotel in about half an hour, as hundreds of onlookers gasped and cheered from the streets.

The 50-year-old said his main concern was not the height of the hotel, but its condition, London's Telegraph newspaper reported.

Like many city landmarks, the hotel is in disrepair after more than half a century of Communist rule on the island.

The hotel is one of the Cuban capital's most iconic buildings, taken over after the 1959 Cuban Revolution and redubbed the 'Habana Libre', or 'Free Havana,' the report said.

Robert, known as 'Spiderman', has scaled much taller structures in his career, including the former Sears Tower in Chicago, New York''s Empire State Building and San Francisco''s Golden Gate Bridge.

Two years ago he took six hours to climb the world's tallest building, the 2,717 foot Burj Khalifa in Dubai, although for that ascent he used some safety equipment.

Rediff.com tracks the adventures of the Frenchman since his early stints in 1997.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Denis Balibouse/REUTERS
Robert climbs on the Abbey during a recce climb in St-Maurice on Octiber 3, 2012. Robert has already climbed without a rope buildings such as The Torch in Doha, Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia, the Saphire tower in Turkey and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.


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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Benoit Tessier/REUTERS
Robert, also known as 'Spiderman', scales the 231 metre First Tower at the La Defense business district outside Paris May 10, 2012.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Fadi Al-Assaad/REUTERS

Robert scales the tallest tower in Doha, the Torch Doha, with a height of 300 metres, on April 12, 2012.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Supri/REUTERS
Robert climbs the 215 metre (705 feet) high, 50 floors Bakrie Tower building in Jakarta, March 25, 2012. Robert has also climbed the Sears Tower in Chicago, Sydney Opera House, Eiffel Tower in Paris and Empire State Building in New York City, without any safety devices.


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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Radu Sigheti/REUTERS
Robert scales a hotel in Bucharest October 14, 2011. Robert's climb was part of an advertising campaign for a local electronics retailer.


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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Murad Sezer/REUTERS
Robert climbs the 261-metre-high (856.3 feet) Sapphire Tower in Istanbul May 17, 2011. Sapphire Tower is Turkey's tallest building.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Abdullah Muhsen/REUTERS
Robert scales the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower with a height of 828 metres (2,717 ft), in Dubai March 28, 2011.    

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Bobby Yip/REUTERS
Robert climbs the 137-metres-high (about 450 feet) Hang Seng Bank headquarters at Hong Kong's financial central district January 26, 2011.   

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Tim Chong/REUTERS

Robert reacts as he scales to the top of the 165-metre (541-feet) high Singapore Flyer observation wheel on November 5, 2010.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Benoit Tessier/REUTERS
Robert scales the 152 metre Ariane Tower at the La Defense business district outside Paris on October 8, 2009. 

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Zainal Abd Halim/REUTERS
Robert stands on the tip of the Malaysia's landmark Petronas Twin Towers after scaling it one of the spires of the 452 metre (1,483 ft) tall building, in Kuala Lumpur September 1, 2009.


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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Tim Wimborne/REUTERS
Robert pauses to talk to office workers as he descends the outside of the 41-storey Aurora Place office tower in central Sydney on June 2, 2009.       


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Tags: PHOTOS , Robert , Sydney

In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Jamal Saidi/REUTERS
Robert climbs the facade of the InterContinental Hotel Phoenicia in Beirut October 11, 2008.


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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Rickey Rogers/REUTERS

Robert climbs the 165-metre-high (541 feet) 46-story Italia building in downtown Sao Paulo February 27, 2008. Robert successfully scaled Sao Paulo's landmark building on his second attempt in a week, after being arrested by police on his first attempt while he began to climb.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Alex Grimm/REUTERS

Robert attaches a banner to the154 metre (505 feet) high 'Skyper' building before climbing the skyscraper to raise awareness about global warming, in Frankfurt July 7, 2008. 

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Lucas Jackson/REUTERS
Robert climbs outside The New York Times building to raise awareness of global warming June 5, 2008.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Rickey Rogers/REUTERS
Robert climbs the 165-metre-high (541 ft) 46-story Italia building in downtown Sao Paulo February 27, 2008. 

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Sergio Perez/REUTERS

Robert climbs a hotel building in downtown Madrid, February 19, 2008. Robert climbed a wall measuring 55 metres without using security measures.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Alex Grimm/REUTERS

An airplane flies past as Robert as he climbs outside the 154 metre (505 feet) high 'Skyper' building in Frankfurt, to raise awareness about global warming, July 7, 2008. 

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Photographs: Rickey Rogers/REUTERS

Robert climbs the 165-metre-high (541 feet) 46-story Italia building in downtown Sao Paulo February 27, 2008.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: China Daily/REUTERS

Rescuers stand at the foot of a wall of Tianmen mountain as Robert (in red) climbs it in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan province November 18, 2007. China has invited Robert back to scale the mountain, despite banning him from the country for five years after he climbed a Shanghai skyscraper without permission.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Alexander Natruskin/REUTERS

Robert celebrates after climbing a 243-metre (797 feet) tall building in Moscow September 4, 2007.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Marcos Borga/REUTERS

Robert climbs up the April 25 bridge over the Tagus river in Lisbon August 6, 2007. Robert completed the 190-metre climb during rush hour on Monday before giving himself up to local police.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Vladimir Sindeyev/REUTERS

Robert climbs a 63-metre tall building in Kiev June 25, 2007. Robert climbed the 16-storey building as part of a promotional campaign for a local telecommunications company.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Aly Song/REUTERS

Robert waves as he climbs down the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai May 31, 2007. Clad in a Spider-Man costume, French climber Robert on Thursday scaled the 88-storey Jin Mao Tower, China's tallest building, and was met by cheering crowds and Shanghai law enforcement officers on the ground.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Nadia Asari/REUTERS

Robert sits on a ledge as police wait for him on the 60th floor of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur March 20, 2007. Robert was arrested as he tried to scurry up the world's tallest twin towers in the Malaysian capital.   

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Chris Helgren/REUTERS

Robert scales the National Bank of Abu Dhabi's new 202-metre headquarters February 21, 2003.

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In PHOTOS: Adventures of the French 'Spiderman'


Photographs: Marcos Borga/REUTERS
Robert climbs up the April 25 bridge over the Tagus river in Lisbon August 6, 2007. 


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Photographs: Marcos Borga/REUTERS

Robert climbs the cables surrounding Centerpoint Tower, Sydney's tallest building, February 27. Robert was caught by police before he was able to reach the top.

Tags: Robert , PHOTOS , Sydney