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(ambient music)

I have been climbing now for nearly 45 years,

I have had plenty of problems, plenty of failure.

I don't use anything special, just using my bare hands.

I'm using some chalk as well,

these are the only things I'm using.

My life, it's based on moving forward.

Something, you know that makes me dream,

you know, I need to feel this thrill of...

there is something around the corner.

My next challenge:

climbing 200 buildings before I retire.

I love Manilla, it's a vibrant city.

I came here twenty years back and...

I am having nice memories.

There wasn't any tall buildings,

so now I am kind of on a mission

to climb one of the tallest buildings in Philippines.

Each time I'm living this kind of adventure

there is a kind also of addiction.

People, they may not really understand but

it's just something you know

that you are planning in your mind.

You are not sure whether at the end of the day,

you will still be alive or not.

This is the way I enjoy living.

My life is always about my next challenge.

So you know one is done, it's done, it's wrapped up

and then there will be always another one

until my last breath.

(ambient sounds)

I am Alain Robert, but most of the people they are knowing me

more as a French Spider-Man.

The guy who can climb anything, especially climbing buildings.

Just using my bare hands.

(tense music)

I have climbed 160 buildings,

it took nearly 25 years,

70 different countries.

Discovering people, discovering cultures.

Climbing a building is the absolute vertical

from bottom to top. It can be really tiring.

Sometimes I've been trying only a few meters

and I wasn't even sure I was going to make it...

and fighting hard to stay alive.

And when you are reaching the top, you just feel like...

wow, I won my fucking life. I am having an extra life.

I'm reborn. And that's just an amazing feeling.

When I was like 8, I saw a movie inspired by a novel

written by Henri Troyat: The Grieving Snow.

It's a story of a plane that crashed near

the top of Mont Blanc and two brothers guide,

they decide to climb the mountain and to seek survivors.

And I have been really fascinated by that,

I have been intrigued and at that time

even though I was still very young I just thought,

when I would be older, I just want to become a climber.

My parents, you know, they didn't really understand me,

because they are from a generation

which you're successful if you are a doctor,

if you are a teacher, if you are engineer,

but a climber? Come on man.

I felt insecure, I thought that maybe my face is not good,

you know, that kind of a complex.

It brings a lot of negativities around your life.

And I was having to find something you know

to stand out, to find my way, and I found it.

First time was a bit by accident, I was at school,

one teacher was missing,

so I was having to go home 2 hours before my parents,

when I arrived in front of my apartment,

I realised that I didn't take the keys.

For some reason even though I was not really thinking

about climbing the 7 story building,

I was looking at it and I was studying,

and sometimes you know a bit like a dreamer,

like you are watching something, although you know most likely

you never gonna do it, but...

and on that day

for some reason I decided that I was having enough,

I was having to be brave and courageous.

This is how I started to climb a seven-story building.

I have suddenly opened a gate.

Most of the people they are dreaming their life

and suddenly I was on the other side.

I was living my dream.

You know, as a little boy afraid of everything,

lacking of self-confidence, that was kind of a giant step.

It seems that nowadays a lot of people are not even aware

that I used to be a famous rock climber.

(exciting music)

I was having more than a solid background on rock climbing

and especially free soloing.

I'm talking about things that I did 25, 27 years ago,

pushing the difficulties of free soloing

at the highest, highest level ever in the whole world.

Verdon, that famous route Pol Pot

that was so hard, that was so…

so unsafe and you are just climbing... you are

300 metres above the ground and just using some small pockets,

some friction for your feet and it's kind of scary stuff.

My margin in between making it or falling and dying

was really really slim.

Nowadays people they have kind of forgotten

because that was before internet.

I'm trying also to tell people that I'm just

not only a guy who is climbing buildings.

Very famous rock climbers like Alex Honnold they are knowing,

they are perfectly aware.

Alex did something amazing two years back.

He climbed El Capitan.

He was the first person climbing free solo.

It's a 900m route but the hardest pitch, it's 5.13a.

And what I did for example 25 years ago was up to 5.13d.

[Alex Honnold] One of the things that I really respect

about Alain is just the vision that he had over the years,

his willingness to do things that other people wouldn't do.

I think that Alain Robert was one of the first people to

really free solo very difficult routes.

I mean in fact he's free soloed harder grades than I ever have.

Similar things that he climbed on rock

are really more impressive than what he's done on buildings,

but it's just been 30 years or so

so nobody really remembers them now.

(ambient music)

For me, climbing was not about racing or competing,

it was about freedom and self-expression.

It sounds idealistic, perhaps...

but I guess I'm just from another generation of climbers.

How is everything?

It's good bro.

Is it good?

It looks like a really nice place for climbing.

Yeah, it's great.

As climbing became more popular,

they added more rules and regulation

and it became more like a sport.

It was no longer about adventure.

I did not want to compete against others

but again the cliff, against myself.

Alone and with my life in my hands.

The new generation, they are really pushing very hard.

Climbing sometimes what just to put a long distance

in between peg.

If you are falling you were dead.

Mental game. It's something very mental game.

Climbing was totally different.

(newsreaders speaking in foreign languages)

So what's there to do on a summer day in Chicago?

Go to the beach, play volleyball, or…

climb a mountain in Chicago?

Well, one visitor decided to do the next best thing.

He is like Spider-Man or so it would seem,

and his web; some of the tiny rungs

for window washers along this mountain of a building.

(exciting music)

The aesthetic of the building is very important,

it's like a woman...

You are picking usually the one that is gorgeous.

(laughter)

(intense music)

The Petronas Twin Towers, in Kuala Lumpur.

You know, when I did it, I was really having to pinch myself.

I was standing at the top 452 meters above the ground and...

that was after 12 years, two failed attempts,

and I knew I was risking maybe up to five years in jail.

(helicopter blades)

At the end there is a pinnacle, it's about 80 meters,

and you are really standing at the top of the world.

That was really an amazing feeling

and I was just telling myself; am I dreaming?

(exciting music, applause)

It feels a bit unreal,

everybody is laughing, everybody wants to take pictures about you

or want an autograph, a kiss or whatever.

I'm not gonna tell you that I don't like it.

When suddenly there are thousands and thousands

of people and they are chasing you,

as a matter of fact, it is pleasant.

(seabirds, waves crashing)

In Bali actually I am not really doing anything special.

My career is more backwards than forwards, so...

I am climbing less,

I am just enjoying my life a bit differently,

you know, more relaxed.

I am staying here on retired visa, then I'm not working,

I don't like working so it's fine,

and I am like resting, watching TV,

swimming... enjoying my wife.

Having a good champagne, or 2 or 3 sometimes.

(overlapping conversation)

You know deep down, if you have understood, I'm just

following my dreams.

And I am having the willpower for the next maybe,

15 or 20 years for climbing again, free soloing

because this is the way I am really expressing myself.

As long as I'm having a bit of margin,

I am considering that this is safe.

(helicopter blades)

(radio chatter)

(overlapping voices)

I love kicking the ass of the society.

I am a kind of rebellious person.

The New South Wales police look very dimly on this,

we've had to use a number of different resources here today

and its obviously been a

tremendous impact on the people of Sydney.

We've had to close streets etc.

So we'll be prosecuting him to the full extent of the law.

I also enjoy very much climbing illegally

because it's more fun,

it makes the story bigger.

I have been also jailed many times.

Not long ago I climbed in the UK.

That was really, really on the edge.

I was already having two previous injunctions,

But you know, I'm 56.

I'm not gonna go to jail for 5 years or 10 years,

so I just prefer to abandon climbing in the UK.

(ambient music)

Sometimes people, they are asking me

what scares me the most,

and I'm just telling them, having a boring life.

I find it for me more scary than climbing and falling.

I am training hard, I am trying to be in a good shape,

though I'm not as young as before.

I just feel like for a guy who is now close to 60

I'm not that bad.

At least I am the lucky one

because I can climb until maybe I'll be 70.

When I grabbed the pocket then I just, I got a "stake".

So if you can... yeah just one.

Oh, I broke so many, my skull,

I broke my nose quite badly, and I fell in a coma also.

The worst thing is my wrist.

Because I fell from nearly 20 metres.

I am having, you know, some strong features,

I'm not like them all, like Enrique Iglesias,

or that kind of shitty Tom Cruise.

I am more like somebody who stand out.

From the beginning when I know about his job

I really want him to stop, and I wish

that he can stop and to find another job,

but it looks like already inside his blood.

If I'm asking him to stop climbing

it's like I'm asking him to die.

I don't know actually if I already told you

but I am planning to go to the Philippines.

And I wish to climb one of the buildings.

(tense ambient noise)

You like it, you don't like it, you hate me, you love me?

(overlapping chatter and laughter)

You know what it feels like last time UK, it's uh...

The UK was a very particular case,

because there I had already been arrested

6 times so they just got tired about me

and they wanted... to make me feel like shit.

But Philippines, for me, I am completely virgin,

it's a new background,

it's a new field, so I don't think it shouldn't be bad,

it can't be bad, very sure.

I always thought that I wanted one day

to climb something in Philippines, so here we are.

And usually I am a kind of person,

if I am having an idea in my mind,

I'm not going to give up.

Sometimes also it's something

that makes me a little bit afraid,

I am also a bit afraid of myself.

It's like... I'm stuck.

On the other side I know what he's doing,

but I'm already falling in love.

It's like, what should I do? It's difficult,

so we are nearly never talking about climbing,

about job, which building.

No Ira, you know, she never tried

to convince me not to climb.

She knows and she heard it so many times

that for me climbing is as important as

eating, breathing or sleeping.

So she has kind of set up her mind

that for me climbing is as important

as being in love for her and her being in love for me.

I just want a real life, normal life,

without questioning my husband

will he come back again or not after this job,

on the other side, this is his hobby, his passion,

so I cannot stop it.

Of course people who are loving me,

they obviously they are afraid

because they know that what I am doing is dangerous.

I don't really need to explain that it is a deadly game

because it's just so obvious.

Then... no need to add. It's just understood...

that I may or may not come back one day.

(tense music)

The pollution looks very bad.

It's kind of strange being back to Manila

because now there is a lot of buildings,

you know I was in Philippines 20 years back,

and there was nearly nothing.

I think it is the one. No, it's not.

I also could do this one.

Not really tall, but not really bad.

Yeah, I think I can see the tip, it's the one there.

Actually I know it quite well because I already got videos

from a guy I am in touch with who lives in Manila

and I also check plenty of pictures on Google,

it's kind of already like an old friend.

Just quickly, if you can ask the guy to park the car

as soon as possible, like this. I can have a proper look.

You know, I really, I really need to touch it

if you can drop me now like this,

and then you are coming back, I will be here, okay?

I prefer here because there, there may be the security.

You know, this is security of the building.

They are not supposed to have that kind of weapons.

It looks like more guys engaged in the war on terrorism in

Afghanistan or Iraq than just security people.

To be honest with you it's a bit scary.

You don't know what's happening in the mind of the people.

If they just think that what is happening is not normal

and if they are allowed to shoot you or not.

That's kind of an issue.

Well having a lawyer, and to be honest,

let me go alone checking the building,

because if everyone is following me

with the camera there is no story.

(traffic sounds)

(tense music)

This is good, this is the only good news actually.

In principle that should be okay.

It is really climbable.

There is some horizontal ledges, the first maybe 10 meters.

They are quite close, and after, the gap is much bigger

in between two ledges so obviously

it will be more difficult.

For what I checked this morning,

it looks like there is some beams,

I think they are a little bit lousy, meaning not very solid,

but underneath the structure is solid, so...

I am planning to climb the corner

so I would be, let's say I would be starting here...

all the way to the top, not exactly to the top

because unfortunately everything

is ending here or maybe there.

There is a little bit that is missing

and I don't know if I can cross this part.

Looks like it's impossible.

Of course, I do love you.

And oh love... about the rifle, one of the good news,

it seems that this is not real bullets,

and the security people they are not using it.

It's more something intimidating

and that's it. It's not for real use.

I don't want him to climb. It's scary,

it's like... scary and it's not really a nice feeling.

He is not at home and I'm waiting, what's gonna happen

and what kind news I'm gonna get.

No my love don't worry... that's no big deal.

I will do it if I know it is safe.

(voice on end of phone)

OK, OK. And don't drink my champagne, please.

(laughter)

Well I manage Alain's day to day business.

And when he climbs I coordinate all of the media,

which often can be at short notice.

The president's administration is very harsh on law breakers.

And we just don't know how they'll take this climb.

They may view it as trivial or they may view it as serious,

so it's worrying.

Alain will definitely get arrested,

so we have to have a lawyer on site to represent him.

If we don't get a lawyer though,

I don't think he can risk climbing here in Manila,

because he might get shot.

He spoke to some lawyers already?

So he won't help me.

Why doesn't he want to help me?

Well you know people they are a bit coward,

they are a bit chicken also and sometimes it sucks.

They have no guts.

They like watching Bruce Willis on TV

and... or Jason Statham,

but when you are asking them to do a little...

you know, what's the fucking deal?

Climbing a building, it's nothing.

From the beginning you told me:

if you feel like climbing you climb,

if you don't want to climb it's fine.

No because I've decided that I will be climbing.

Whether you're coming or not, I still want to climb.

I am also doing it for myself.

I'm not doing it because there is something involved.

I am just doing it because as a matter of fact

I love climbing and

I have been climbing my whole life long.

I just wish to climb tomorrow and I'm climbing tomorrow.

(ambient sound)

For me, you know climbing is as important

as eating, breathing and sleeping.

We need those three things.

On the top of it, there is a fourth one, I need to climb.

I am like any other human being,

I am afraid, before an ascent.

I feel a kind of a calm down towards my own death.

I am having responsibilities and everything,

so you know, I'm sizing everything.

(quiet background chatter)

I mean I can stop there, cause if we stop over there, I mean...

(tense music)

(whistle)

It's quite close,

I can't really afford... to put my center of gravity

too far away from the... from the glasses.

(creaking)

(clanging)

You need to touch it, because it looks like it's so flimsy.

Of course, if one of this shit is going down,

I am going down as well.

(siren)

(announcer speaking foreign language)

(announcer speaking foreign language, sirens, traffic)

A spider! Hey little spider.

(quiet, ambient music)

It's finished soon.

Woo!

(cheering, applause)

This is the best I could do. It's not bad actually.

I better climb down... easily.

(exclamation in French)

It's okay, it's okay!

No worries man!

I am a kind of showman. I love playing to the people.

It's a bit like theater...

people they are watching something happening,

…and I just felt like I need to give them a bit more.

(cheering)

(screaming)

I am kind of a playful person. In our society nowadays

there isn't much people that are that daring.

My whole life is based on having fun.

(horn beeping)

(overlapping chatter, crowd commotion)

(speaking in foreign language)

(tense music, overlapping voices)

For me, going to jail I kind of like it.

I like pushing, I like exploring boundaries.

And I like kicking ass of the society.

Actually, yeah, what I'm delivering to the whole world

is a broad message about being courageous,

but also being confident.

There is the good craziness and there is the bad one.

You know what people are saying about me: badass.

(intense music)

Actually, yeah, the message is not about fucking climbing.

Who cares about climbing.

It is being a bit more daring...

realizing your dreams.

(ambient music)