Polish Spider-Man: climbs skyscrapers without ropes - Marcin Banot BNT

Banot's simulator was a simple wooden frame mimicking the window dimensions of the Marriott. He progressively narrowed the foot ledges and widened the handrails to make the moves more difficult. He also wore a weighted vest to simulate the added fatigue from fear and prolonged effort. He tested different shoes to find the best grip. This method is borrowed from sport climbing training but applied to a unique urban objective. He emphasizes that free solo climbs must be chosen with a large margin: you should be able to climb something twice as hard or high in training. The simulator cannot replicate the wind, the glass reflection, or the fear, but it builds the physical confidence that you won't fall due to strength failure.

Banot explains that after a break from high exposure, the fear returns stronger. He uses easy climbs as 'hartowanie' (toughening). He contrasts his own adaptation with a normal person who would be exhausted and terrified on a 100m chimney. He believes that while some people may have a biological advantage (like Alex Honnold's low amygdala response), adaptation is possible for many, but not everyone should attempt it. He also notes that changing locations resets the fear somewhat, but being 'w gazie' (in the zone) speeds up re-adaptation.

Banot describes how he constantly analyzes buildings while driving, looking for whether one can climb from the ground to the roof using only the wall. He notes that most skyscrapers are not climbable in this way; it depends on the window frames, ledges, and architectural details. He checks if windows open (which could allow rescue or rest), if there are balconies, and if the structure feels solid. He also considers the legal aspect: if the building protrudes from a public sidewalk, climbing it may not be trespassing, but if there's a setback or overhang requiring you to enter private property, it is. He avoids buildings where ledges seem fragile or where the climb would put people below at risk.

Banot explains that in Poland, if a building's facade is directly on the public sidewalk, you can start climbing without trespassing. However, if there's a setback, a fence, or a private courtyard, you commit trespassing. He has a suspended sentence in France and a ban from Argentina partly due to such infractions. He now avoids any climb that requires trespassing because the legal risk (prison) outweighs the reward.

He explains that the Marriott's wide windows offer no rest positions—you can't hang with both arms down, you're constantly in a crucifix-like pose with your face close to the reflective glass, seeing your own scared expression. The climb is zero-sum: from ground to roof, you either make it or you don't. He trained on a home simulator for about half a year, making the ledges narrower and the handholds wider apart than reality, using a weighted vest. Yet on the actual climb, the fear was overwhelming, draining his energy. He says he had to fight the fear and hide it, and that in hindsight, his margin of safety was too small. This admission is striking because he still completed the climb successfully, but he doesn't view it as a triumph of preparation.

Banot explains that in Poland, if a building protrudes directly from a public sidewalk, climbing it may not be trespassing, but being above people creates a 'stan zagrożenia życia' (endangerment of life) charge. He feels genuine guilt about the risk to bystanders and the burden on emergency services. The Argentina incident, where he was aggressively arrested and saw firefighters struggling with ropes, was a wake-up call. He now prefers climbing old antennas, chimneys, or remote structures where he doesn't risk others or face legal trouble. He says he should 'forget about trespassing' because he could go to prison. This shift is not due to fear of climbing but to a cost-benefit analysis that includes jail time and moral weight.

He constructed a 'symulator wieżowca' (skyscraper simulator) in his room—a mockup of the window ledges and handrails. He then progressively made it more difficult: he narrowed the foot ledges, widened the spacing of the handrails, added a weighted vest, and tested different shoes. Crucially, he performed more repetitions of the window sequence in training than the actual number of windows on the building. This overtraining was designed to build a physical and psychological buffer so that on the real climb, even with fear and fatigue, he would have a large margin of safety. He emphasizes that free solo climbs must be done with a big 'zapas' (margin), meaning you should be capable of climbing a building twice as high or in worse conditions than what you attempt.

He argues that free solo climbing is inherently dangerous, and even with all the preparation, it's not something to promote. He notes that YouTube demonetizes or age-restricts his most popular videos because they depict life-threatening activities, which he agrees with because it discourages copycats who might think they can get rich or famous. He says he knows many good climbers who don't earn money from it and have other jobs. He also points out that seeing a free solo climber can be traumatic for bystanders who understand the risk, and that it's imposing a potentially distressing sight on people who didn't consent. He feels that the applause he received on the Marriott roof was a one-in-a-million moment, but the overall impact includes negative externalities.

Banot describes the need to 'siedzieć w jaskini strachu' (sit in the cave of fear) by consistently exposing himself to heights on easier structures. He gives the example of climbing a 100m chimney in socks with one hand, which is trivial for him physically but keeps his mind accustomed to the exposure. He contrasts this with someone who never stands on a roof: they would be terrified on a rooftop, whereas he adapts quickly because he's constantly in that environment. He believes that while some people may have a biological predisposition to lower fear (like Alex Honnold), adaptation through repeated exposure is possible to a degree. However, he doesn't think everyone can or should do it.