Alain Robert - the free climber dubbed the 'French Spider-Man' - has just added the Galaxy Macau hotel in southern China to his list of his high-rise feats after he scaled the 153 metre (500 foot) building on April 23.
The 52 year old had to add suction cups and a rope to his usual inventory of a small chalk bag and climbing shoes due to the building's unusual cupola facade. Despite the challenge, he completed the ascent in just 45 minutes as a spellbound audience watched from street level.
However, unlike many of his attempts which see him met by police officers waiting to handcuff him, Robert's climb on Wednesday was a planned promotional stunt for the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
The luxury Galaxy Macau resort which opened in May 2011 posted on their website: "Macau’s FIRST barehand climb will get visitors immersed into the excitement on 23 April. Renowned urban climber Alain Robert, known as the French Spider-Man, will demonstrate his extraordinary climbing skills on Galaxy Macau Tower. Don't miss it!!!"
Robert has made a name for himself for scaling some of the world's tallest buildings with minimal equipment, very often without the permission of the authorities. Some of his previous climbs include the Empire State Building in 1994, the Burj Khalifa in 2011 and the Eiffel Tower several times in the 1990s.
The 'urban climber' notably climbed the Petronas Tower 1 in Kuala Lumpur on March 20 1997 before being arrested on the 60th floor. He returned to the towers on the 10th anniversary of his original climb to scale Petronas Tower 2, this time giving up himself to waiting authorities, again on the 60th floor, who applauded Robert as he waved the Malaysian flag.
Despite the convivial atmosphere of his Macau climb, the Frenchman has previously landed himself in hot water with Chinese authorities. In May 2007, he was expelled from the country after he scaled the Jin Mao Building in Shanghai - China's tallest building at the time.
However, he was later invited back by the local government of Zhanjiajie, Hunan province, who requested his services to climb to the 1518 metre (4,980 foot) Tianmen mountain to boost the profile of the region and attract tourists.
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