Our 2024 Festival Team
Val Shao |
Festival Director
Val has been climbing for over 10 years, after finding it as a PE course. What started as a requirement to graduate, quickly became a hobby after an "Intro to Outdoor Rock" course in the Gunks in upstate NY.
Fast forward a couple of years, and Val took off several years of "normal life" to pursue climbing. Since then, she has travelled extensively - both internationally as well as domestically - looking for the most aesthetic lines, the funnest movements, the best crag snacks, and the best and most welcoming community.
She arrived in Lander in 2021 psyched on the ease of access to the outdoors and the countless quality limestone lines all within a short drive. This is her second year running the International Climbers’ Festival!
Socials: @val_shao
Rina Christensen | Marketing Coordinator
Rina has been working in marketing and photography for about 5 years. Last year she joined the festival as a photographer, and this year is officially part of the team, as our Marketing Coordinator.
She is a Florida native who relocated to Southern Utah to be closer to climbing. When she traveled out West in 2022, she got stuck in Wyoming for over a month and in that time was completely consumed by the beauty, peace, and vastness of the Wyoming wild terrain. Lander has a special place in her heart offering quality climbing, river dips, and ice cream from the Scream Shack. She mostly sport climbs, enjoying the process and journey a single pitch can offer. She enjoys being creative and using her artistic skills in her work. She is so excited to combine that ambition with working with the International Climbers Festival.
Socials: @rinachristensen15, @thegardenphoto.co
Ken Hilton | Volunteer Coordinator
Ken grew up backpacking in the Wind River range, but didn’t visit Lander to climb until a spring break trip to Sinks Canyon in 2010. In the years since, the Lander climbing community has been a second home to Ken when he’s not at his home in Laramie.
Ken began volunteering at the ICF in 2018 on the recommendation of a local friend as an opportunity to connect with the community and share his love of climbing in the Lander area with other climbers from across the U.S. and around the world. Ken has volunteered at the last five festivals and looks forward to the week spent welcoming the broader climbing community to the places that loom large in his life each July.
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
Emilee Jensen | Lead Videographer
Emilee has been a photographer for 11 years and recently got into videography. She has always been drawn to the outdoors and about 2 years ago started climbing. Climbing is how she chooses to express her love for being outside.
Emilee is attending school at Utah Tech for film, with an emphasis in documentary. She is inspired by Jimmy Chin and strives to live on the road and let photography and videography take her to new places.
Socials: @photosby.emilee