'Spiderman' climbs Abu Dhabi building

Updated 16.36 Sat Feb 24 2007

French 'Spiderman' Alain Robert has climbed Abu Dhabi's tallest building unaided in front of a crowd of thousands.

The audience cringed and cheered in fear and amazement as Robert scaled the 185 meters of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority building without any safety mechanisms in place.

The Frenchman hasn't stopped climbing despite being partly medically disabled and suffering from permanent vertigo

The Frenchman hasn't stopped climbing despite being partly medically disabled and suffering from permanent vertigo, which are the results of a childhood climbing accident.

Relying solely on his hands, feet and determination, he made his way to the top, using tiny slots in the concrete structure as leverage.

Robert's only tool is a little pouch clipped to his waist filled with powder to keep his hands from getting moist and losing grip.

He began his career when he was twelve. He climbed eight floors to get to his parents' apartment after he was locked out without the keys and no-one home.

Robert has become infamous for illegal climbing, and he has had more than a few run-ins with the law in various countries.

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