A teenage climber scales French towers in a “unique sensation.”
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It’s risky. It’s against the law. Additionally, his parents disagree.
However, Titouan Leduc has no immediate plans to abandon his passion.
Leduc, a 23-year-old urban climber from northern France, enjoys scaling skyscrapers with just a pair of climbing boots and no ropes or other specialized gear.
It’s a distinct feeling. In an interview with AFP, he said, “I’m face to face with myself.”
“It’s something that I find hard to find elsewhere, and that’s what keeps me going.”
“Of course, a big inspiration is Alain Robert, a 62-year-old French climber who made a name for himself by pioneering dangerous city ascents,” Leduc added.
“I really respect him for his performances,” he stated. “He’s someone who pushed the level of climbing in the ’90s, and he’s the first person to have undertaken such extreme and random solo climbs.”
By scaling the tallest buildings in the world, Robert—also known as the “French Spiderman”—became wealthy and well-known, and Leduc is attempting to support himself through his enthusiasm.
Leduc climbed the Franklin Tower, a 115-meter (377-foot) tall office building in Paris’ La Defense business neighborhood, on a recent day.
Similar to Robert, he carried out a free solo ascent, moving up using just his hands and feet.
He occasionally stopped to dry his hands and had a tiny bag of climbing chalk powder around his waist.
Reaching the summit of the tower, he triumphantly lifted his arms in the air.
‘Bloodied hands’
It was such a pleasant sensation. It was lengthy at first and a little challenging to get into,” he remarked afterward.
“After a while, halfway up, I didn’t count the floors, but then it went really smoothly, and frankly, I went really fast to the top,” he said.
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But Leduc’s hands suffered during the ascent, and he proudly displayed the fingers that were hurt.
“I hadn’t anticipated that I was going to end up with bloodied hands,” he said.
Despite waiting for him on the ground, a number of police officers issued a warning and released him.
In France, urban climbing is prohibited and carries a fine or harsher penalties.
However, Leduc dismisses these worries. “I anticipate being halted at the end when I go on this type of performance. But frankly, that’s secondary,” he stated.
“I know that there could potentially be problems later on.”
Leduc began climbing as a little boy.
“I’ve been climbing all over the place, climbing trees, climbing everywhere,” added the man.
At the age of 19, he began scaling buildings in Nancy, his hometown. Slowly, I began to diversify. I became quite interested in skyscrapers and large urban projects.
He has attempted to explain the appeal to his parents, but they have not accepted what he does.
“My parents and I have a lot of disagreements. “We’re not in agreement,” he stated.
“To persuade people to accept it, more effort needs to be done. which I clearly comprehend.”
However, he stated that he only climbs when he is completely prepared, both mentally and physically, and that he never takes needless chances.
“I’m looking for ways to push myself a bit,” he stated. However, I strive not to go beyond my boundaries because I am aware of them. If not, that’s when things become quite risky.
For him, urban climbing was “pretty,” too.
“Seeing a human being ascend such a sleek façade is fantastic. The artistic aspect of it truly appeals to me.