As of 2010, Alain ‘Spiderman’ Robert (France) had climbed more than 100 towers, monuments and skyscrapers without ropes, suction devices or safety equipments. A dedicated solo urban climber (although he suffers from vertigo), Alain uses pipes, window frames, cables and the gaps between brickwork to scale structures that often measure more than 400 m (1,300 ft) in height. He has been arrested and imprisoned at locations all over the world for his unannounced and illegal ascents, but has also raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity with his climbs.

One of Robert’s most notable endeavours was reaching the top of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 1 September 2009, after two failed attempts in 1997 and 2007.