Climbers Who Scaled Vertical Glass Walls
Glass isn’t meant to be climbed. It’s slippery, unforgiving, and offers nothing to grip.
Yet some people have looked at towering skyscrapers covered in reflective windows and seen them as challenges rather than barriers. These daredevils have turned urban landscapes into vertical playgrounds, risking everything to conquer surfaces that seem impossible to scale.
So who are these people willing to defy gravity and common sense? Let’s take a look at the climbers who made headlines by ascending some of the world’s most famous glass towers.
Alain Robert
The French climber known as ‘Spiderman’ has scaled over 150 buildings worldwide, most of them covered in glass. Robert doesn’t use ropes or safety equipment, relying instead on his bare hands and climbing shoes with special rubber soles.
His first major glass climb happened in 1994 when he went up a skyscraper in Paris, and he hasn’t stopped since. Police often wait at the top to arrest him, but that rarely stops him from attempting another climb somewhere else in the world.
George Willig
Back in 1977, Willig became famous for climbing the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. The building’s exterior wasn’t entirely glass, but the windows created serious challenges along the way.
He designed special climbing devices that fit into the window-washing tracks running up the side of the building. The climb took three and a half hours, and when he reached the top, police were waiting with handcuffs and a lawsuit from the city for $250,000.
The fine eventually got reduced to just over a dollar, one cent for each floor he climbed.
Dan Goodwin
Goodwin climbed the Sears Tower in Chicago in 1981, wearing a homemade Spiderman costume complete with suction cups. The 110-story building presented massive stretches of glass and steel that seemed impossible to grip.
Firefighters tried to stop him by spraying water and even breaking windows, but he kept going. His climb took seven hours, and he did it to raise awareness about fire safety in tall buildings after the MGM Grand hotel fire in Las Vegas.
Robert Chambers
Chambers made headlines in 2007 when he climbed the outside of a London hotel while completely intoxicated. The building’s glass facade offered almost no handholds, yet he managed to scale several floors before getting stuck.
Emergency services had to rescue him, and the whole incident got captured on security cameras. His motivation remains unclear, but the climb demonstrated just how dangerous these stunts can be when attempted without proper planning or sobriety.
Maison Des Mutants
This group of French urban climbers has tackled glass buildings across Europe without permission or safety gear. They’ve scaled everything from office towers to luxury hotels, documenting their climbs on video.
The group sees these ascents as a form of performance art rather than simple stunts. Their climbs often happen at night to avoid detection, and they’ve managed to reach the tops of several famous glass structures before authorities even knew they were there.
Steve Proto
Proto attempted to climb Trump Tower in New York using large suction cups in 2016. The building’s all-glass exterior made it one of the more ambitious targets in recent years.
He made it up three floors before police pulled him through a window and arrested him. Video of the climb went viral, showing just how precarious his position was on the reflective surface.
His stated reason was wanting to have a personal meeting with Donald Trump, who was running for president at the time.
Xiao Jiguo
The Chinese climber has scaled numerous glass buildings across Asia without any safety equipment. Jiguo specializes in finding tiny imperfections in glass facades that most people would never notice.
He uses these small gaps between panels as handholds, combined with friction techniques against the smooth surfaces. His most famous climb happened in Changsha, where he went up a 60-story building in less than three hours.
Authorities in China have arrested him multiple times, but he continues to find new towers to conquer.
Marcin Banot
Polish climber Banot has focused on glass office buildings throughout Europe. He completed a climb of Warsaw’s tallest building in 2018, a structure almost entirely covered in reflective windows.
Banot trains extensively before each climb, studying the building’s design and testing different grip techniques. Unlike some climbers who do it for attention, he claims to climb for the personal challenge and the unique perspective it offers.
He’s been arrested in multiple countries but maintains that the risk is worth the experience.
Alexis Landot
Landot made international news when he climbed the glass exterior of the Montparnasse Tower in Paris. The 689-foot building offered few features beyond its smooth glass panels and thin metal frames.
He completed the climb in under two hours, timing it to coincide with rush hour for maximum visibility. His message focused on environmental concerns, and he unfurled a banner at the top calling for climate action.
Police arrested him immediately upon reaching the roof, but his message had already been broadcast to millions.
Leo Urban
Urban specializes in glass climbs in Asian cities, particularly Hong Kong and Singapore. He uses a combination of suction devices and friction techniques to scale buildings that seem impossible to climb.
Urban has never fallen during a climb, though he’s had several close calls when suction cups failed on certain types of glass. He posts videos of his climbs online, which has led to both fame and numerous legal problems.
Several countries have banned him from entering due to his climbing activities.
Remi Lucidi
French climber Lucidi tragically died in 2023 while attempting to scale a residential building in Hong Kong. The 68-story structure had a glass exterior that proved more challenging than expected.
Lucidi had successfully climbed numerous other glass buildings before this fatal attempt. His death highlighted the extreme dangers these climbers face, especially when tackling buildings without prior reconnaissance.
Fellow climbers mourned his loss while acknowledging that the risks they take sometimes end in tragedy.
Andrej Ciesielski
German teenager Ciesielski climbed the Great Pyramid in Egypt and several glass towers in Dubai before turning 20. His Dubai climbs involved buildings with extensive glass curtain walls that required specialized techniques.
Ciesielski always climbs during twilight hours when lighting conditions make the ascent more dramatic for photos. He’s been deported from the UAE and faces arrest warrants in several countries.
Despite the legal troubles, he continues to seek out new glass structures to climb.
James Kingston
British climber Kingston has documented his glass building ascents with action cameras, creating some of the most viewed climbing videos online. He climbed the glass exterior of a building in Southampton that had been considered unclimbable by other urban climbers.
Kingston’s approach combines parkour skills with traditional climbing techniques, allowing him to move quickly up smooth surfaces. His videos show the terrifying perspectives from hundreds of feet up, with nothing but glass below his feet.
He’s managed to avoid arrest in most cases by finishing his climbs before authorities arrive.
Mustang Wanted
This Ukrainian thrill-seeker has scaled glass towers in Eastern Europe along with parts of the Middle East. Nobody really knows who he is, yet his clips rack up millions of hits online.
Mustang Wanted dangles off shiny walls using only a single hand, making scenes look unreal. He’s taken on high-rises in Moscow, Kyiv, plus Dubai, picking the wildest spots for photos every time.
Others attempted to mimic him – some got hurt or caught by police.
Flaviu Cernescu
Romanian climber Cernescu tried scaling a shiny office tower in London to support a good cause. Halfway up the 40-floor skyscraper, cops stepped in and told him to come down.
The people who own the place said they’d take legal action because his gear scratched the windows. Even though he claimed it spotlighted key issues, judges didn’t buy it – so he ended up behind bars.
Now he sticks to climbing spots where access is approved; still, those outings feel flat compared to his old risky feats.
Vadim Makhorov
Russian climber Makhorov’s taken on slick skyscrapers in places like Shanghai and Sydney. Alongside a photographer, he captures wild rooftop views – angles most people never see.
One time, he went up a glass tower mid-thunderstorm – a move he’d admit was straight-up reckless. With the surface soaked, holding on felt hopeless, while lightning lit up the sky dangerously close.
He made it down safe, yet still learned his lesson – no more climbing when storms roll in.
Andi Eigenmann
Filipino climber Eigenmann made headlines after scaling skyscrapers in Manila – no prior training at all. Instead of relying on coaches, he picked up moves from clips found online while testing them out on shorter walls nearby.
One time, she tackled a massive 30-level office block covered mostly in smooth glass and narrow aluminum edges. Guards only caught on once he’d passed the twentieth floor.
She made it to the top without issues, yet ran into big trouble with the law right after. Since then, Eigenmann’s pushed for special climbing zones on structures – so folks can climb legally.
Beijing Joe
A guy from America – just called ‘Beijing Joe’ – tried scaling several glass towers in China until they kicked him out for good. The time he made it furthest was up a 50-floor skyscraper in Shenzhen covered head to toe in smooth glass.
He stuck to the side using special shoes, some chalk, along with small sticky grips on his hands. After that stunt, officials clamped down hard – boosting surveillance and access rules on high-rises across big urban centers.
Joe’s currently into climbing spots across Southeast Asia – law here’s usually more relaxed. Others in the scene check out his moves, especially when it comes to scaling slick glass walls.
Where They Stand Now
Some climbers shifted views on skyscrapers – showing what happens when boldness outweighs caution. A few stepped back due to harm, legal trouble, or just getting older and slower.
Meanwhile, others keep hunting fresh high-rises, chasing climbs that seem beyond reach. The structures they’ve conquered still rise tough and imposing, symbols not only of design skill but also raw drive that ignores boundaries.
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