"All that Glitters": Margo Talbot

07/06/20 • 36 min

In 2011 alpinist and speaker Margo Talbot published her memoir, "All that Glitters: A Climber's Journey through Addiction and Depression." In her book, she reflects candidly on her struggles with addiction and depression, as well as how ice climbing played a role in her recovery. Toward the end of "All that Glitters," Talbot writes, “In my years of searching, I had arrived at my own philosophy of life, the essence of which was that existence is a precious gift, and that every moment, whether in the throes of joy or the pit of despair, is equally to be treasured.” Deputy editor Paula Wright conducted this interview with Talbot at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in November 2019.

[Photo] Alain Denis

[Photo] Alain Denis

Previous Episode

Alpinist Aloud: “The Raven at the Door” by David Stevenson

In this Full Value story from Alpinist 60 (Winter 2017-18), David Stevenson gets caught in a storm returning from a hut trip in Alaska and suffers a heart attack, forcing him and his partner to spend a cold night in a shallow snow cave. In the aftermath he discovers a new significance to a haunting experience that happened decades earlier in his childhood home.

Narrated by Matthew Richardson. Audio production by Nick Mott.

[Illustration] Andreas Schmidt

Next Episode

Alpinist Aloud: “Life Compass” by Brette Harrington

In this feature story from Alpinist 64 (Winter 2018-19), Brette Harrington writes about her life partner, Marc-André Leclerc, who died in the Mendenhall Towers of Alaska, with Ryan Johnson in March 2018. About a month after their deaths, she traveled to the Canadian Rockies to immerse herself in the wintry alpine landscapes that remind her most of Leclerc. Exploring unclimbed terrain on Mt. Blane, accompanied by Rose Pearson, she tries to reorient herself within the void of all she has lost.

Narrated by Kathy Karlo.

Brette Harrington and Marc-André Leclerc on the summit of Great Sail Peak, Baffin Island, after a one-day ascent of the West Buttress (5.12a, C1, 1100m) in 2016. [Photo] Josh Lavigne