At Age 60... "Spider-Man" Climbs Skyscraper

Alan Robert, the free climber known as the "French Spider-Man," ascended a 48-story skyscraper in Paris, achieving a goal he set for himself upon turning sixty. Wearing red clothes, Robert raised his arms high when he reached the top of the 187-meter tall Total Energies Tower in the business district of La Défense in the French capital. Robert, who celebrated his sixtieth birthday last month, said, "I want to send a message to people that being sixty is nothing. You can still exercise, be active, and do wonderful things." He added to Reuters, "I promised myself several years ago that when I turn sixty, I would climb this tower again because sixty symbolizes retirement age in France, and I thought this was a nice touch." Robert, who also aimed to use the climb to raise awareness about the need for action on climate change, had previously climbed the Total Energies Tower on multiple occasions. Robert began climbing in 1975 when he trained on slopes near his hometown of Valence in southern France. He started climbing solo in 1977 and quickly became one of the top climbers.