International Climbers’ Festival

Finally, Carrot and I had the privilege of attending the International Climbers’ Festival (ICF) this July. I’m not sure how it is international since it is in Lander, WY, each year, but I suppose the world was invited! Regardless, this was one of the most fun climbing events I have ever seen! We at theDIHEDRAL would be remiss if we didn’t give you a key list of pros and cons about this event. Here are some of our thoughts:

Carrot

Just to be clear, the difficult part of this thought experiment was limiting this list to 5 things I liked about the 31^st International Climbers’ Festival, when there were literally hundreds of things that I liked.  On the flip side it was actually very difficult to find 5 things I didn’t like, because the entire event was so well organized enjoyable from start to finish.  The task, however, isn’t to list 100 things I liked and 5 things I didn’t like, so in being compliant with the goal, here are 5 things I liked and 5 things I didn’t!

5 things I liked!

1. Lander-folk!  The residents of Lander putting up with hundreds of dirtbags invading their beautiful town for the week would be more than anyone could ask, but they went far beyond putting up with us. They took us in, gave us food, shelter, water, and some of the most beautiful rock-climbing in the States.  One of my favorite events was when local bank (Central Bank and Trust) opened their doors during business hours to feed all of us.  Literally hundreds of climbers just chilling at a bank eating free food.  The employees were there serving food, drinks, and snacks during business hours in the cool AC of the Central Bank in downtown Lander.  It was a terrific experience, and a great example of Wyoming hospitality!
2. Camping at Lander City Park.  There was free camping at the park.  We didn’t have to pay one cent.  In addition to having a free place to stay, there was a beautiful river to cool off in, clean bathrooms, drinking fountains, and garbage fairies that magically emptied all the garbage cans throughout the entire park!
3. Film Festival.  One evening at the City Park there was a film festival with 5 excellent short films including this gem from Three Peak Films called The Angler Speed Record.
4. The Trade Fair Decathlon was a two-day event where you go to different vendors, complete a task/game and receive a stamp.  Once you get a “bingo” card stamped 5 times, you can turn it in for a prize.  Meeting the vendors and talking gear with other climbers is always great, throw in unique games like log rolling, and tug-of-war, and it becomes even better.  Especially after a long day of climbing the local limestone up in Wild Iris!
5. Getting 5 days of climbing with High-Clip was the best.  She is the perfect climbing partner, and I couldn’t imagine having a better time with anyone else!

5 things I didn’t like!

1. The week of the Climbing Festival was during a record-breaking heatwave, so maybe next time, the sponsors and organizers can solve the climate change crisis.
2. I miss-read the itinerary and noticed that iconic Smith Rock Legend Alan Watts was speaking at an event.  I incorrectly assumed he was speaking at the speaker series, and he wasn’t.  He was hanging out at the Black Diamond “Cocktails and Campfire” event, and I missed it.  So, maybe the organizers can just have Alan Watts on retainer next time so that he can spend quality time with every climber for a minimum of five minutes each throughout the entire week.
3. There could have been a philosophy of climbing panel sponsored by theDIHEDRAL and hosted by in-house philosophy professor Carrot, but we never got a call.  Probably the phones were busy that day, maybe next year?
4. I was in a pull-up contest, that I wasn’t even close to winning, but one guy was doing one-armed pull-ups that received credit for the equivalent of four normal pull-ups.  So, I am thinking that next time a one-arm pull-up should count as ½ a pull-up since it’s using ½ the arms?  Just a thought.
5. My only real complaint is that on final day of the festival there was a Stewardship and Service Day.  It was a chance for climbers to give back by helping with trail maintenance and land conservation.  It’s an awesome idea!  High-Clip, me, and two other friends signed up, and there was only one other person out there helping with this particular project.  It was on the last day, and I know most people had a long day of travel in order to get back home, so I don’t blame the climbers entirely.  That being said, I would like to see the stewardship opportunities last the entirety of the event.  Most of us had plenty of time between climbing and partying to move a few rocks, or pick up a little trash, and more opportunities to help could lead to more people helping.

The International Climbers’ Festival has been in Lander for 31 years, and I can see why.  It is an amazing setting with spectacular rock, but most importantly it is a top-notch experience put on by outstanding organizers, and if you ever get the chance to go, I would strongly recommend it!

High-Clip

As Carrot mentioned, a list of 5 is very hard for this festival, but I will try to stay concise.

5 Likes

1. One of my biggest complaints with organized events is that they either keep you too busy or not busy at all. ICF did a STELLAR job keeping you the appropriate amount of busy. You had time to yourself to do your own thing, but there was always fun, interesting things to do. If you skipped out on some things, the FOMO wasn’t too bad, either.
2. The locality was extremely convenient. As Carrot said, the camping was fantastic, but even more, a lot of the festivities were in the field behind the camping. So, you could walk over whenever you wanted, or go back to camp for a snack or hoodie. The climbing was pretty close, too!
3. As much as I try to fight it, I can get slightly materialistic around climbing gear. I just want to try all of it out. The vendors at ICF did not disappoint. They had all kinds of exciting classic and new gear to mess around with, and the reps from each company were a pleasure to speak with. Even more, you can demo gear during the day at the crag! Not to mention all of the free merch…
4. Mini games! I love mini games and dumb little challenges. You’re probably not going to be able to compete with everyone in the climbing, but you might have a fighting chance in the mini games! At the very least it changes the pace and is just a fun way to connect with some of the vendors and hang out with the community.
5. I can’t describe how lucky I felt to be out there with my two best friends on the planet! Carrot and I don’t get to travel much, so it was such a treat to be at such an amazing festival with him! It was a full time party…who could ask for more?

5 Dislikes

1. Festivities tended to end around 10PM each night, but afterwards most of the adults head to Lander bar for a night of shenanigans. It was definitely nice to head to bed early some nights, but something like a bonfire or a more relaxed light night activity may have been nice as an alternative to the bar.
2. The heat was pretty bad, and you can imagine how the overall climber hygiene was. There was a little river behind the camping that you could dip in, but even a small outdoor shower would have been nice to refresh a little bit. I know it’s not a popular dirtbag opinion, but it feels so nice and healthy to be clean. On the plus side, we did save a lot of water without showers!
3. It’s really more of a like, but I really appreciated free breakfasts each morning. There was always enough food for everyone and it was so convenient to wake up and walk over to some food. If I had it my way we’d have even more food later in the day (maybe even leftovers?). But it was really no problem heading to Safeway and cooking each night.
4. We need more types of events, or maybe have this event move around. It would be so amazing to experience different parts of the country (or world) in the way we experienced Lander. Lander is a special place, but imagine all the cool places to climb and cool people to meet in different places. Only 1 trip to Lander and I have dreams for future ICFs!
5. We need more people! Maybe not more people per se, since I’m not sure what Lander can handle, but more everyday people like you and me. I think the ICF attracts a lot of really impressive climbers and dirt baggers, but it would be cool to see more people from other parts of the country or more people that haven’t been (e.g., you guys!).

We cannot recommend this festival enough. If you ever get the chance to go, this is a must! Check it out here.