Daring skyscraper climber eyes iconic Havana hotel

Daring skyscraper climber eyes iconic Havana hotel
By ANNE-MARIE GARCIA, Associated Press | February 1, 2013 | Updated: February 1, 2013 6:00pm

HAVANA (AP) — The daredevil climber nicknamed "Spider-Man" is famous for scaling some of the world's tallest skyscrapers without a safety line. Now Alain Robert has his sights set on a slightly less imposing edifice that nonetheless offers its own challenges — and plenty of symbolism.

The 50-year-old Frenchman is in Havana on a mission to conquer the 27-story former Hilton Hotel that was taken over after the 1959 Cuban Revolution and redubbed the "Habana Libre," or "Free Havana." Fidel Castro briefly set up his personal offices here after his triumphant march into the capital.

"This hotel has great meaning for me. It's impressive not for its height, which is not great, but because it's a building that symbolizes the Cuban Revolution," Robert told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview Friday.

"I consider this hotel to have been a challenge for Castro," he added, "and I love the idea that now it's my turn to attempt the challenge."

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