By Charlie Pike
Photos by Corey Fitzgerald
From our January 2025 issue
Noah Kleiner, an American Mountain Guides Association certified ice instructor, founded the Camden-based Equinox Guiding Service in 2016. Across Maine, he teaches rock climbing and mountaineering and, in these colder months, leads students up sheer faces of frozen waterfalls and iced-over coastal cliffs. We chatted with Kleiner about what it takes to get into ice climbing, including whether you need to have ice in your veins.
When did you first grapple up an icy cliff?
It was in the Catskills, 15 years ago. I thought, “There’s no way I’m gonna climb up this, like, frozen tube of ice.” And then I did it, and it was awesome — like being Thor, but with two hammers. You get to take your anger out on this thing that will just re-form after you’re done. There’s something so visceral about that, plus knowing that the ice will be gone in the spring — something sort of mysterious about this ever-evolving thing, never static. It’s a serious adventure.

So now, you have a novice ice climber staring up at a frozen waterfall. What happens next?
Climbs are graded in difficulty on a scale of one through five, with five being the steepest, and if you’re on a half-day trip with me, we’ll start out by doing a couple laps on a grade one or two, so that you’re comfortable before moving on to something like a two or three. I teach people how to use their crampons, dropping their heel, getting their toe high, and kicking the points of the crampon up and into the ice. Then, there’s swinging the ice axes. You reach up nice and high, and use the weight of the ax to do this flicking motion with your wrist, to flick the ax into the cliff. I also talk about how to read the ice — blue ice or yellow ice is good and solid.
What about the fear factor? At least from a distance, ice climbing looks like it could be a risky proposition.
When I take beginners out, we set up a rope from the top, anchoring it around a tree or through a set of ice screws, so that the climbers are well secured all along the route. The rope is rated to 6,000 pounds — and that’s the weakest part of the whole system. When you’re climbing, the rope is always above you. If you were to fall and let go of the ice, the rope is right there to hold you in place. You don’t go very far.
Do climbers need any specialized outerwear to keep warm?
Your basic ski outfit is totally fine. Snow pants, snow jackets. Dress in layers. I try to get people to bring lots of gloves, because gloves are going to get wet. I’ll hike in with one pair. They’ll get wet. I’ll climb with another pair. Those will get wet. I always want to have a nice warm pair for the hike out.
Where are your favorite spots around Maine?
There’s a ton in western Maine. I go to Grafton Notch a bunch. Katahdin is a super-rad place. There’s some huge lines up there — really scenic and challenging standouts. Chain of Ponds, near Eustis, has a variety of short cliffs with stunning views. Camden is amazing. And Acadia — I’ve even climbed frozen ocean spray out there. Maine has lots of spots where the ice forms really well, in both cascading places where the climbing is mellow and also in places that make steep, hard climbs. Plus, it’s kind of like a very local, private group of people who know where the climbs are. You go to New Hampshire, and there are going to be like 100 people at the cliff. In Maine, you show up at the climb and you’re like, “Hey, it’s Greg! I know Greg. How’s it going, Greg?” I think that’s pretty spectacular and pretty Mainer-y.
Guide to the Guides

Maine is home to three climbing schools accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association, certifying that their trip leaders are rigorously trained in technique and safety. All three of the schools offer private ice-climbing outings in locations across the state, from Acadia National Park to Baxter State Park to the western mountains, and they cater to all skill and experience levels. Plus, since they provide the crampons, ice axes, ropes, and expertise, you just have to show up with a little courage and a bit of upper-body strength.