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Guided climbing & outdoor education

Leave with skills you
can use on your own.

Guided rock, ice and alpine days in Vermont, New Hampshire,
New York and beyond. Every day ends with a next objective.

Outlines of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire

Guiding

Rock and ice in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York

Every day is planned around what you want to learn. Climbing and teaching take turns through the day. You go home with skills to practice and a next objective to aim for.

Guiding and instruction →

Outdoor education

Experiential education for teams and schools

Outdoor education and experiential learning, combined to challenge your group in new ways. Your team comes away with a clearer picture of its strengths. Teams that want to go further can add leadership development with SPARC.

For groups and organizations →

How climbers progress

Every path starts with a first day.

No experience is needed for a first day on rock or ice. All the technical gear is provided, and the day is built around you.

From there, three paths on rock, ice and mixed terrain build toward bigger climbs. The Northeast is an incredible training ground, with high-quality climbs in every category.

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HERESTART HERETop-ropingNo experience needed.The rope runs from above.Sport leadingLeading on boltsalready in the rock.Multipitch sportBolted routes tallerthan one rope length.Trad climbingPlacing your ownprotection as you lead.Multipitch tradLong routes on yourown protection.Top-rope iceNo experience needed.The rope runs from above.Ice leadingPlacing ice screwsas you climb.Multipitch iceIce routes tallerthan one rope length.Mixed climbingRock and ice protectionon the same route.ULTIMATEDESTINATIONSRemote andalpine rockThe BugaboosWind River RangeThe SierraCirque of theUnclimbablesULTIMATEDESTINATIONSAlpine climbingin mixedconditionsThe RockiesThe CascadesCanadian RockiesQuebec

Rock

  1. Top-roping. Start here. No experience needed.
  2. Sport leading. Leading on bolts already in the rock.
  3. Multipitch sport, or trad climbing. Bolted routes taller than one rope length, or placing your own protection as you lead.
  4. Multipitch trad. Long routes on your own protection.

Ultimate destinationsRemote and alpine rock: the Bugaboos, the Wind River Range, the Sierra, the Cirque of the Unclimbables.

Ice

  1. Top-rope ice. Start here. No experience needed.
  2. Ice leading, or multipitch ice. Placing ice screws as you climb, or ice routes taller than one rope length.

Mixed

  1. Mixed climbing. Rock and ice protection on the same route.

Ultimate destinations, for ice and mixedAlpine climbing in mixed conditions: the Rockies, the Cascades, the Canadian Rockies, Quebec.

Start where you are. Every day ends with skills to keep working on and a next objective to aim for.

Ask about a first day

Every day starts with a conversation.

Share what you're hoping to do. Noah replies within 24 hours, and never more than 48.

Start a conversation

Your guide

Noah Johnson

Noah Johnson founded Vertical Connection Guiding and guides in Vermont, New Hampshire and northern New York. Mentorship got Noah here, and passing it on is at the center of his guiding. Whether it's your first day on a rope or you're working toward your first lead, the day meets you where you are.

The American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) trains guides in three stages: Apprentice, Assistant, then Certified. Noah is an AMGA Apprentice Rock, Alpine and Ski Guide and a certified AMGA Single Pitch Instructor.

About Noah

Noah Johnson on a snow slope at sunrise, skis on his pack and a rope trailing below
High on the Emmons Glacier, Mount Rainier, Washington.

Why “Vertical Connection”

Climbing is a personal endeavor, and everyone experiences it differently. At its heart are two connections. The first is to the natural environment. The second is to your climbing partner. That is where the name comes from.

A climber in a red jacket at the top of a cliff above a valley of fall color
Fall climbing at Bolton, Vermont.

On Instagram

The latest climbs, conditions and crews are on Instagram. Follow @vcguiding