International Rock Climbers Festival This Week In Lander

The 30th annual International Climbers’ Festival will be held in Lander Wyoming, July 13 - 16, 2023.

The International Climbers' Festival is a summer staple in Lander, WY.

Visitors of all backgrounds come together to celebrate rock climbing, build community, and play outside.

Climbing at this level is not just about being physically fit.

It's like solving a puzzle.

Keynote speakers include:

KATIE BROWN
World champion climber Lynn Hill once called Katie Brown “the best female sport climber in history.” As a teenager in the 1990s, Brown redefined what it meant to be a strong, successful athlete. She became a Junior World Champion at age fourteen and then over the next several years, she won every US adult national competition she entered and a World Cup title.

Kai Lightner

Kai Lightner is a professional rock climber who started climbing at age 6 and became the Open/Adult Lead Climbing National Champion at age 15.  Throughout his career he has won 12 National Championships (2 adult; 10 youth), 5 Pan American Championships (1 adult; 4 youth), and 1 Youth World Championship. Outside he is credited with climbing his first 5.14c/8C+, Southern Smoke, at age 13, and Era Vella (5.14d/9a) at age 15.

Alex Johnson

Join us Saturday, July 15th for ICF Keynote Speakers! Alex "AJ" Johnson has been climbing professionally for almost two decades. She has been a member of the US Team for 18 years, winning her first US Open National Championship at age 13. In 2008 AJ made history by becoming the first American to win a Bouldering World Cup on US soil, and in 2010 she did it again, winning gold in Switzerland.

Alan Watts

Raised in Madras, Oregon, just 20 miles north of Smith Rock, Alan Watts started climbing at Smith Rock in 1975 at the age of 14. He soon devoted himself to developing Smith Rock climbing, at a time when few climbers saw the potential.

These are active people, so there is an active schedule.

Here are just some of the activities

Local youth/native youth and family clinics go from 8 am to 4 pm. Meet at City Park. Find the sign with your clinic name and gather where your instructors are.

Festival registration will be at the Wild Iris Mountain Sports (166 main street) from 9 am to 6 pm where you'll find T-shirt and swag bag pick-up, raffle ticket sales, and more!

You can find a climbing partner at the friend meet-up starting at 9am at the Lander Brake Stop!

Yoga Theory and Pure Madness group "Bend and Brew": All-Level Vinyasa Flow 2 pm to 3:15 pm in front of the stage in Lander City Park with James DuPont! No sign-up needed- just show up! (Free beer only for 21+ ticketed attendees; must get a wristband at WyoClimbers’ booth beforehand).

BIPOC find a climbing partner or friend meet-up starts at 3 pm at the Lander Bake Shop with Climb United and Cruxing in Color!

RAB Happy Hour goes from 3 to 5 pm inside of Wild Iris Mountain Sports, serving Upslope Beer, Athletic Brewing NA options, and bubblies for ticketed attendees!

The Central Bank & Trust Art Crawl goes from 4 to 8 pm along Main Street between 1st and 4th St.

There is plenty more. You can read the entire schedule at this link.