Photo / Courtesy Equinox Guiding Service
Equinox is seeing a growing clientele, including families, tourists and young professionals.
May 21, 2025
Knox County outdoor guide service’s new HQ reflects growth, improves visibility
Photo / Courtesy Equinox Guiding Service
Noah Kleiner helps a client prep for a rock climb.
An outdoor guiding service in Knox County moved its headquarters from the owner’s home in Hope to a more visible location in downtown Camden.
The seven-mile move from the inland town to the coast also reflects Equinox Guiding Service’s growth, Noah Kleiner, who founded the company in 2016, told Mainebiz.
“As the business grew, it became clear we needed a dedicated space to better serve clients, run certification courses, support our staff and establish a more visible presence in the community,” Kleiner said. “We also wanted to create a space that reflects our professional identity and connects directly with our clients.”
The new site is at 20 Mechanic St. in Camden.
Rock and ice
Born and raised in Union, Knox County, Kleiner got into climbing in his teens and “immediately fell in love with the movement, problem-solving and community that surrounds the sport,” he said.
He began guiding in his early 20s, earned American Mountain Guides Association certifications, and built experience in rock and ice climbing across Maine and beyond. 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.
Equinox started as a solo business. Kleiner primarily guided in the Camden Hills and expanded from there.
Now he has a team of three AMGA-certified guides, with seasonal support staff in the summer months. Services are offered year-round throughout Maine, with a strong presence in Camden, Acadia National Park, Grafton Notch and the Katahdin region. In addition to rock and ice climbing trips, the company offers climbing instruction and skills courses, certain AMGA instructor certification programs, and youth programming including camps and homeschool partnerships.
On average, the company serves several hundred clients per year and is seeing steady growth as word spreads and partnerships develop.
HQ fit-up
The move to 20 Mechanic St. works well because it’s in the heart of downtown Camden, Kleiner said.
“It’s within walking distance of the cliffs we guide on and puts us right in front of tourists and locals alike,” he said. “It gives us room to run in-person bookings, host meet-ups, sell climbing gear and provide educational programming. The location anchors us in the outdoor economy of the midcoast.”
Renovations to get into the space have focused on creating "a clean, functional and welcoming space with retail offerings, a guide workspace and community meeting space,” he said.
The space will have new signage, flooring, fixtures and a flexible layout to allow for small events and gear fittings.
“We’ve intentionally designed the space to reflect our values: simplicity, nature and professionalism,” he added.
Equinox is seeing more families, tourists and young professionals, and there’s also demand for certified, professional instruction.
“Our 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,” he said.
For Kleiner, the sport also provides life lessons.
“I love helping people step out of their comfort zones and discover a new side of themselves through climbing,” he said. “Whether it’s a first-time climber reaching the top or a student passing their instructor certification, it’s incredibly rewarding to be part of that growth. I also love being connected to the land and community where I grew up — it feels meaningful to build something here.”
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