About Noah

Welcome to Vertical Connection Guiding⁠!

I’m Noah Johnson, founder of Vertical Connection Guiding. Ever since I was little I was inspired by the great outdoors and the endless opportunities for discovery. I could always be found outside, likely in a tree or halfway up a boulder (that I probably wasn’t supposed to be on). This restless curiosity eventually led me to Mt. Katahdin, one of the first mountains I summited and whose silhouette lives in VCG’s logo.

Today, I’m a passionate guide and explorer who helps others connect deeply with nature and have extraordinary experiences. I have the fortune of partnering with grass roots organizations like Petra Cliffs and Black Bird Mountain Guides who strive to further the guiding industry.

I currently spend the summer months in the Pacific Northwest and the fall/winter months in the Northeast, due to the variety of disciplines it allows. This affords me the luxury to challenge myself on different terrain during peak seasons.

One of my favorite hobbies is building out my backcountry kitchen. I love trying new recipes and adding to my homemade spices kit. On pre-dawn summit days you will find me making cheesy bagels and drinking matte!

Beginners and seasoned adventurers alike are all welcome. I aim to help others progress towards their goals and develop an appreciation for the minutiae of climbing.

A man in a white climbing helmet and black jacket climbs a granite rock face, holding onto a crack with climbing gear attached to his harness.
Four mountaineers standing on snow-covered peak with mountain gear. Two are holding skis, one has an ice axe, and one has snowboarding gear. Behind them is a wooden sign that reads "KATAHDIN, Baxter Peak, Elevation 5,267 ft." against a backdrop of blue sky and clouds.

AMGA Apprentice Rock, Alpine & Ski Guide

AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor

AIARE Avalanche Instructor

Certifications & Courses:

American Mountain Guides Association:

  • AMGA Alpine Guide Course

  • AMGA Rock Guide Course

  • AMGA Ski Guide Course

  • AMGA SPI Course & Exam

Avalanche Education:

  • AIARE* Instructor Training Course

  • American Avalanche Institute Pro 1 Avalanche Course

  • AIARE* 1 Avalanche Course

  • AIARE* Rescue Avalanche Course

*American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education

Logo for AMGA SPI Single Pitch Instructor with concentric circles and rope detail

Education:

  • B.A. in Business Administration, University of Vermont

  • Minor in Emergency Medical Services

  • EMT Course

  • EMS Leadership Course

  • Mental Health Emergencies Course

Badge with a green banner that says "Leave No Trace," a green spiral arrow, and the words "Master Educator" underneath.
Wilderness First Responder badge with green background and medical symbol
University of Vermont logo with shield and text

Medical & Leave No Trace

  • Wilderness First Responder

  • Leave No Trace Master Educator

Other:

  • NOLS Outdoor Educator Mountaineering Course

  • NOLS Rock Climbing Training

  • New York State Licensed Rock & Ice Climbing Guide

Rock

Where I’ve Explored

    • Eldorado Canyon

    • Flat Irons

    • The Zowie - Otis Peak, Rocky Mt. National Park

    • Acadia National Park

    • The Armadillo, Mt. Katahdin

    • Knife’s Edge Ridge, Mt. Katahdin (traversed)

    • Cannon Cliff

    • Cathedral Ledge

    • Franconia Notch

    • Huntington Ravine, Mt. Washington

    • Rumney

    • Whitehorse Ledge

    • Chapel Pond Pass

    • High Peaks, Adirondacks

    • Poke-O-Moonshine

    • The Spider’s Web

    • Over 30 Winter & Summer ascents of the 46 High Peaks

    • Linville Gorge

    • Rumbling Bald

    • Ship Rock

    • Smith Rock - climbed extensively throughout State Park and Marsupial Crags

    • Bolton Area

    • Falls of Lana

    • Prospect Rock

    • Smuggler’s Notch

    • Wheeler Mountain

    • Black Mountain

    • Exit 38

    • Goat Wall, Mazama

    • Index

    • Ozone

    • Mt. Erie

    • North Cascades

    • Snoqualmie Pass

    • Washington Pass

    • Murin Park

    • Smokebluffs

    • The Chief

A person ice climbing on a frozen waterfall with ice tools and crampons, wearing a helmet and harness in a snowy, icy landscape.
Group of climbers with backpacks and gear standing on snow-covered mountain, overlooking snow-capped peaks and valleys under a partly cloudy sky.

Ski

    • Chimney Couloir, Mt. Katahdin

    • Hamlin Ridge, Mt. Katahdin

    • 8 day Winter trip into Baxter State Park

    • Huntington Ravine

    • Tuckerman’s Ravine

    • Big Jay

    • Hellbrook Trail

    • Hourglass Shoot, Mt. Mansfield

    • Profanity Shoot, Mt. Mansfield

    • Smuggler’s Notch

    • Teardrop Trail

    • Willoughby State Forest

    • Emmon’s Glacier, Mt. Rainier

    • Worm Flows, Mt. Saint Helens

    • Champs De Mars

    • Chic Chocs

    • Hog’s Back

    • Mont Lyall

    • Mont Saint Pierre

    • Triple X Couloir

    • Vallieres de Saint Real

    • Heli access ski touring in the Monashee Mountains, BC

    • Rogers Pass, BC

Climber reaching for a hold on a rugged rock face during a climb, equipped with climbing gear and safety ropes.
Person rock climbing on a rock face, wearing a helmet, climbing shoes, and gear

Alpine

    • Frankenstien

    • Huntington Ravine

    • Mt. Willard

    • Tuckerman’s Ravine

    • Limited climbing in Avalanche Pass including Adirondike & Trap Dike

    • Bolten

    • Lake Willoughby

    • Smuggler’s Notch

    • Glacier Peak

    • Mt. Baker (via 3 routes)

    • Mt. Rainier

    • Mt. Saint Helens

    • Mt. Shuksan (via 2 routes)

    • Wine Spires

    • Liberty Bell Group

A person wearing a blue jacket and black pants snowboarding down a snowy mountain slope with a rocky cliff in the background.
Three people in winter gear with skis and poles standing on snow-covered ground, looking at snow-capped mountains and evergreen trees in a mountainous landscape.
A person rock climbing on a large outdoor granite wall with trees and rocks nearby, wearing a red jacket, blue pants, and a helmet, secured with safety ropes.
Four people in winter gear climbing a snowy, icy mountain slope with rocky outcrops visible, carrying skis and trekking poles.
Two climbers traversing a snowy mountain pass with rocky cliffs and snow-covered slopes.

Significant Peak Ascents

  • Glacier Peak, WA (2 ascents)

  • Mt. Baker, WA (15 summits via 3 routes)

  • Mt. Rainier, WA

  • Mt. Saint Hellens, WA

  • Mt. Shuksan, WA (3 ascents via 2 routes)

  • Mt. Katahdin, ME (via 3 climbing routes - summer/winter, ski decent via 2 routes)

  • Mt. Washington, NH (via multiple routes - summer/winter)

  • Presidential Traverse, NH

A person in winter gear skiing down a snowy, icy slope with a backpack and an orange safety rope, surrounded by snow-covered rocks and trees, in a foggy winter landscape.