French 'Spider-Man' praises Honnold's Taipei 101 climb

Paris, Jan. 26 (CNA) Alain Robert, known as "the French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the American climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 on Sunday.

Speaking to CNA, Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508-meter-tall skyscraper in just over one and a half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement.

"This is my life," he told CNA in the interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger."

The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top.

On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101 could be placed between 6.5 and 7.

Robert, who currently resides in Indonesia, told CNA by phone he has climbed buildings more difficult than Taipei 101, including Chicago's Sears Tower, now known as Willis Tower.

However, he stressed that he was glad to have conquered Taipei 101, which he described as a beautiful building with excellent views.

Building height itself does not determine climbing difficulty, he said, explaining that surface conditions, foothold size, structure and facade design are the key factors.

He said windy conditions, rain, unfinished exterior surfaces and a recent elbow injury increased the difficulty of his 2004 ascent of Taiwan's tallest building.

Fear of heights is a natural human instinct, Robert said, but during climbing he feels freedom rather than fear.

"I am not afraid of death," Robert said, adding that what he fears is "boredom."