Margo’s Story
Margo’s early life was beset with childhood trauma followed by decades of substance abuse and depression. Her low point came whilst in jail convicted of drug offences. A love of ice climbing and nature helped bring Margo back from the brink and established her as one of North America’s best ice climbers.

These days Margo Talbot writes and climbs and has published numerous climbing-related articles, as well as being the instigator and main contributor to the fourth edition of Waterfall Ice Climbs in the Canadian Rockies. As a climber her favourite medium is ice and alpine, and she has authored numerous first ascents of waterfall ice in Canada. She has competed in a number of climbing competitions, including the ESPN X-Games and the Ouray International Ice Festival. A sponsored athlete with Outdoor Research, she also guides for Chicks with Picks and runs an adventure guiding company for women called The Glitter Girls. 

As a speaker, she has given slide presentations of her adventures in Canada and the United States and has spoken widely on her personal experiences of mental illness to healthcare groups, social workers, women’s shelters and detention centres.

“There is a conspiracy of silence around mental illness and my intention is to shine a light on that; to bring it out into the open in a more meaningful way than a problem to be solved with pharmaceutical drugs.”

Warren's Story
In April 1997 Warren set out on what was supposed to be a revitalising, grounding, backpacking trip to Hinchinbrook Island, off the northeast coast of Australia. His life would never be the same again. Climbing to the summit of the islands tallest peak, he became trapped beneath a one-ton boulder in a freak rock fall. His companion, Geert van Keulen, a Dutch traveller he’d met the day before, his only hope for survival. As Warren lay crushed, Geert raced down the mountain to get help. Warren’s “test of will” lasted two days before a helicopter arrived, and he was rescued. The accident would cost him the loss of both legs, amputated at mid thigh.

Obviously, he survived, but Warren’s story doesn’t end there; far from it. It was after the accident that things got really interesting…

Just ten months later, Warren climbed Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain using a modified wheelchair and the seat of his pants. In February 2003, he became the first double above-knee amputee to reach the summit of Africa’s tallest peak, Mt Kilimanjaro (19,222ft). More recently, in a spectacular effort requiring 2800 pull-ups over 3 days, made an ascent of America’s tallest cliff face, El Capitan.

When he’s not in the great outdoors Warren works as a keynote speaker and motivator with innovative, forward thinking companies and associations; from the Financial and Insurance and Energy and Resources sectors, to Healthcare and Education.