One day in the late 90’s, I found my way blocked as I was making it back from lunch to my office in the skyscraper district of Shinjuku. Police and security. I had to go around the building to another entrance -slightly out of my way. When I got up to the office, everyone there was glued up against the windows. Alain Robert was about halfway up the 54-floor Shinjuku Center Building. We all just stayed and watched for the rest of the climb, and the arrest as he was grabbed climbing over the last bit onto the roof.
I don’t know how long it took him, but i’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to climb the 54 floors with my legs in a stairwell in that same amount.
Impressive and entertaining for those of us watching safely from across the road - nice distraction during a boring work day. Infuriating, I assume for the security guards and police who had to cordon off the entire area below the side he was climbing and detour people trying to get back to work.
