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 our 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.

AMGA Apprentice Rock & Alpine Guide, AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor

Certifications & Courses:

  • AMGA Alpine Guide Course

  • AMGA Rock Guide Course

  • AMGA SPI Course & Exam

  • AAI Pro 1 Avalanche Course

  • Wilderness First Responder

  • Leave No Trace Master Educator

  • AIARE 1 Avalanche Course

  • AIARE Rescue Avalanche Course

  • NOLS Outdoor Educator Mountaineering Course

  • NOLS Rock Climbing Training

Education:

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

  • Minor in Emergency Medical Services

  • EMT Course

  • EMS Leadership Course

  • Mental Health Emergencies

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

    • Exit 38

    • Goat Wall, Mazama

    • Index

    • Ozone

    • Mt. Erie

    • North Cascades

    • Snoqualmie Pass

    • Washington Pass

    • Murin Park

    • Smokebluffs

    • The Chief

Ski

    • Chimney Couloir, Mt. Katahdin

    • Hamlin Ridge, Mt. Katahdin

    • 8 day Winter trip into Baxter State Park

    • Huntington Ravine

    • Tuckerman’s Ravine

    • Champs De Mars

    • Chic Chocs

    • Hog’s Back

    • Mont Lyall

    • Mont Saint Pierre

    • Triple X Couloir

    • Vallieres de Saint Real

    • 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

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)

Significant Peak Ascents

  • Glacier Peak, WA (2 ascents)

  • Mt. Baker, WA (20 summits via 3 routes)

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

  • Mt. Rainier, WA

  • Mt. Saint Hellens, WA

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

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

  • Presidential Traverse, NH