Merdeka 118 Climber Wore A Tudung To Bypass Security And Scale The Tower
Angela Nikolau said she wore hijab, glasses, and a builder's uniform to look as "unnoticeable" as possible.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 05 Jan 2023, 04:15 PM
Angela Nikolau, the Russian daredevil who scaled Merdeka 118 with her partner Ivan Beerkus last month, shared how she completed the challenge of climbing the world's second-tallest building
In a series of tweets yesterday, 4 January, Nikolau said it was time for her to share the details of the climb, which she said was the most difficult challenge of her life, and how she avoided security patrols while inside the building.
"I rented an apartment with a good view [of] the tower so I could conduct surveillance of the building. I spent several weeks finding out important details I needed to know before going there," she began after saying that she had a spiritual connection with the 679m-tall tower the moment she saw it.
"Day X, I started the mission. I was wearing a hijab, glasses, and a builder's uniform to look as unnoticeable as possible. I ran the first 32 floors and got overheated. I had to lie down on the concrete floor naked to cool down a little bit. I drank all the water I had."
"[When I was relaxing], I realised I got detected! You should see the look on my face," she continued, showing a photo of her still wearing hijab while holding a bottle of water
"And then, the nightmare began. I found shelter in a small concrete box where I could not even stretch my legs. I didn't know then I'd have to spend more than 20 hours there!"
To avoid detection, Nikolau spent another five hours in hiding without food, water, and sleep. Due to the tight space, her body became stiff and aching.
"I couldn't even cry because the workers were right next to me and they [could've heard] my sobs and handed me over to security. [The] worst time of my life."
When another three hours had passed, Nikolau thought to herself that she had to start moving before she lost all of her strength
"Luckily, the workers had a break and I could come out and run to the spire! This is me standing inside the spire."
She shared a photo of her standing on the spire's ladder, claiming that the pointy structure that protrudes into the air is 53 storeys high.
"I was wearing a 15kg backpack. If you look at the previous photo, you won't even see the bottom. I'm not sure I'd climb it if I knew how high it was. After I finished climbing, I did not feel my arms and could not lift them."
"My spirits rose when I saw the view! It was [the] raining season so I expected milky clouds and a grey landscape. Instead, I saw rays of sunshine and incredible beauty."
In retrospect, the Russian 'extreme' influencer said the climb to the top of Merdeka 118 was her toughest feat yet, so much so that she doubted she could do it again.
"But the beauty I saw, could capture, and share with you is incredible."
She ended the post by emphasising that she respects the laws of every country, contending that while she trespasses, she makes sure she does not cause damage to anything, unlike other daredevils who sometimes do.
At the time of writing, Nikolau's tweet has gone viral with over 1.2 million views and 1,300 likes
Her tweets did not mention her partner Beerkus, who had climbed Merdeka 118 with her.
When Malaysians first learned about the couple climbing to the top of Southeast Asia's tallest building, many people were questioning the security standards at the approximately RM5 billion building.
On 1 January, New Straits Times reported that the couple was believed to have left Malaysia for Thailand, as Nikolau uploaded a video of her dancing on top of the building that featured the skyline of Bangkok.
Other than scaling buildings in Thailand and Malaysia, Nikolau and Beerkus have also scaled skyscrapers in Hong Kong, China, Russia, and France.
