In 1994, legendary climber, Todd Skinner and a group of local climbers launched the first International Climbers’ Festival right here in Lander WY. It was a small gathering of close friends who were part of the burgeoning sport climbing scene and included one international attendee (inspiring the name, and accurately predicting the future). Since then, this grassroots festival has been a summer highlight for hundreds from around the globe. Once a year, climbers of all skill levels, gather in Lander to celebrate the sport of climbing as a community with music, food and drink, clinics, competition, and of course climbing.
Since that summer in 1994 hundreds of new routes have been added, new crags developed and new businesses opened. But the spirit of that first festival lives on. Wild Iris Mountain Sports remains the one-stop shop for climbing info, gear, and making local friends. The Lander Bar/Gannett Grill is still the place to kick back with friends and cool off with a brew after a day of climbing. City Park still offers free camping and Lander is still a fantastic place to develop or test your skills across the disciplines of our sport.