Photo / Courtesy Equinox Guiding Service
Students received experience in technical outdoor disciplines including climbing, paddling, navigation and wilderness medicine.
June 24, 2025
Camden program for high school-level climbing instructors touted as first in nation
Photo / Courtesy Equinox Guiding Service
Two students took part in what’s thought to be the nation’s first high-school-level "single-pitch instructor" training, in Camden.
An outdoor guide service in Camden teamed with a career and technical education school in Rockland to launch what's being touted as the nation’s first high school-level “single-pitch instructor” training program.
A single-pitch instructor is certified by the American Mountain Guides Association to teach climbing and manage groups on single-pitch terrain — rock climbs that can be belayed from the ground, Noah Kleiner, owner of Equinox Guiding Service LLC, told Mainebiz.
This spring, Equinox partnered with the Mid-Coast School of Technology on the course, which prepares students for the certification before they graduate.
The program was partially supported by the Maine Tourism Association’s “Tourism for ME” workforce development initiative, a state-funded program that aims to support youth career training in Maine’s outdoor recreation economy.
The course marked the first known such training program in the U.S. specifically designed for high school students, said Kleiner, a certified single-pitch instructor.
“It’s about mentorship, workforce development and giving young people access to real leadership opportunities in the outdoors,” he said.
The program was launched in collaboration with Mid-Coast School of Technology’s outdoor leadership program, led by instructor Seth Walton. Students received hands-on experience in technical outdoor disciplines including climbing, paddling, navigation and wilderness medicine.
They spent the spring training with AMGA-certified instructors on rock in Camden Hills.
Course completion is the first step on AMGA’s professional instructor track and a key credential for employment in the climbing industry, said Kleiner.
“Our students are getting industry-level training, real-time mentorship and a clear pathway into the guiding world,” said Walton.
Two students took part. Both were 18 years old, which met the minimum age requirement for the certification. The course took place in May and the students completed their exams in June.
Equinox growth
Kleiner founded Equinox in 2016. Earlier this year, he moved the outdoor guiding service’s headquarters from his home in Hope to a more visible location at 20 Mechanic St. in downtown Camden due to increasing demand.
He is a founding member of the Coastal Mountain Search and Rescue and a licensed Maine Guide and has additional certifications in wilderness first response and avalanche education.
Photo / Courtesy Equinox Guiding Service
Noah Kleiner founded Equinox Guiding Service in 2016.
Equinox is seeing more families, tourists and young professionals, and there’s also demand for certified, professional instruction. The market is driven by a combination of Maine’s natural beauty, increasing interest in adventure-based experiences and the growing popularity of climbing in general — especially since it became an Olympic sport, Kleiner previously told Mainebiz.
Head start
The high school training program is designed to give younger climbers a head start into outdoor recreation careers, he said. Traditionally, single-pitch instructor certification is pursued by adults already working in outdoor education or guiding.
High school students received similar grounding when they completed Mid-Coast’s two-year outdoor leadership program in partnership with Equinox, which provided training in climbing, technical systems, group management and risk assessment.
“By the time they entered the SPI course, they had all the necessary prerequisites and field experience to succeed,” Kleiner said.s
The plan is to expand the program this year. Equinox and Mid-Coast said they’re in discussion with other schools and community partners interested in launching similar initiatives.
Both students are now working for Equinox.
“The certification has opened real career pathways for them,” said Kleiner.
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