Our 2026 Festival Team
Lana Stigura | Executive Director, WyoClimbers + ICF
Growing up in the Detroit area, Lana started climbing indoors near the end of her time as an undergrad at the University of Michigan. After her first outdoor climbing trip, she was hooked, eventually making the move to the Red River Gorge, where she lived until moving to Lander in early 2018. She initially planned to stay just one summer to help a friend with his growing business – but she still hasn’t left. After eight years working with Power Company Climbing, she accepted the position as Executive Director of WyoClimbers this year.
Climbing, for Lana, strikes a perfect balance: an individual pursuit where success can be self-defined, yet deeply rooted in community and shared experience. Around Lander, Aspen Glades stands out as her favorite for its classic routes across a range of grades. Beyond Wyoming, the Red River Gorge and New River Gorge remain top sport climbing destinations, while Hueco Tanks and Joe's Valley are her go-to spots for bouldering.
When not climbing, Lana can be found shed hunting and rockhounding across the public lands surrounding Lander, always on the lookout for small treasures. She also has a self-proclaimed “unhealthy obsession” with collecting vintage furniture and dishes, rarely passing up a garage or estate sale during the summer months.
At the crag, candy is non-negotiable—favorites include Nerd Clusters, Trolli Peachie-O’s, and Haribo Mini Rainbow Frogs—alongside the classic staple of leftover pizza. A firmly gates-out gal, Lana also claims stick-clipping as her strongest climbing skill.
Grace Templeton | Festival Coordinator
Originally from Southern California, Grace Templeton has called Lander home for nearly nine years. Although she initially arrived for a six-month internship, she quickly realized that Lander was where she belonged. While she began climbing shortly before moving to Wyoming, she truly fell in love with the sport and its community during her first year in town.
Grace has previously served the festival as a marketing lead, event coordinator, and even Festival Director during its 29th anniversary! This year, she’ll be focusing on volunteer and Art Crawl coordination. If you have questions or want to get involved, you can reach her at climbersfestival@wyomingclimbers.org
Rina Christensen | Marketing Coordinator
Rina has been working in marketing and photography since 2021. She took the big leap to start her own photography business in 2022 while living out in Southern Utah. In 2023, she joined the festival as a photographer has been the Marketing Coordinator since 2024!
Rina is a born and raised beach bum from Daytona Beach, Florida, and started climbing their in a gym in 2017. Soon after, she started going on trips in the southeast and was hooked. Drawn to the the creative task of projecting, while getting to spend time in wild spaces she desired to make a big push out west to have closer outdoor access. Since then she's lived in Utah and Tennessee . She lives most of the year on the road as a professional photographer, traveling to shoot weddings. Rina first experienced Lander climbing, river dips in the Popo Agie, and Scream Shack ice cream when spending a summer on the road in 2022. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to get back to Lander.
She mostly sport climbs, enjoying the process and journey a single pitch can offer. When she’s not in busy summer season, she travels for her photography business shooting weddings, couples and other projects!
Socials: @rinachristensen15, @thegardenphoto.co
Carl Cote |
Lead Photographer
Carl moved to Lander’s City Park in his van back in 2021, after landing an internship with the local paper. He spent his first summer working around the county and finishing up his last few classes for journalism school. It was that summer, that the Festival Director at the time hired him to shoot the Festival - even though they had only met once. But the rest is history! Carl’s been shooting the Festival for us as our Lead Photographer every year since!
For Carl, the Festival is one of the premiere annual climbing gatherings in the world. He loves capturing its special moments and making new friends each year along the way.
When he’s not climbing or with camera, he love long runs in the mountains, and a good uncrowded point break.
Socials: @carl_cote