Watch: Spiderman tackles Auckland tower

French climber Alain Robert climbing Auckland's Metropolis building today. New Zealand Herald iPhone photograph by Greg Bowker

Crowds of Christmas shoppers in downtown Auckland spent most of their lunch break craning their necks and staring skywards as legendary free climber Alain Robert - the French Spiderman - climbed one the city's most distinctive buildings, the Metropolis.

Robert was climbing the 40- storey building as part of a promotional campaign by electronics company Samsung, which was promote its new ''smart watch" - the Galaxy Gear.

Stopping during the climb, Robert took part in Snapchat conversations, took calls and photographs.

The Metropolis is one of more than 130 buildings around the world that Robert has climbed, including the Empire State Building, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the tallest building in the world, Dubai's Burj Khalifa.

All were climbed without ropes as Robert insists on using just climbing shoes and chalk. (And, say the promoters - his nerves of steel.)

Robert's only problem came right at the very top of his climb - when a rope let down for him to clamber over the final ledge wasn't quite sturdy enough for his liking. He finished his ascent via a slightly less adventurous method - climbing through an open window.

- nzherald.co.nz