Ridgeline Minerals Announces Drill Results and Provides Permitting Updates at the Swift Project, Nevada

• 33.7 meters grading 0.5 g/t Au including 5.8 meters grading 1.5 g/t Au
• Plan of Operations exploration drill permit approved

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 5, 2026) - Ridgeline Minerals Corp. (TSXV: RDG) (OTCQB: RDGMF) (FSE: 0GC0) ("Ridgeline" or the "Company") is pleased to announce final assay results for core hole SW25-008, at the Swift gold project ("Swift" or "Project"), currently being operated under an exploration earn-in agreement with Nevada Gold Mines ("NGM") (Figure 1).

Drillhole SW25-008 was the first of two deep core holes completed in the 2025 program and was drilled to a total depth of 1,249.7 meters ("m"). Hole SW25-008 intersected 115 combined meters of 0.2-1.5 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au") gold including a highlight intercept of 5.8m grading 1.5 g/t Au within 33.7m grading 0.5 g/t Au starting at 1,059m downhole (Figure 1). The hole was drilled approximately 500 meters to the southeast and along strike of hole SW24-006, which returned the highest-grade intercept in project history including 1.1m grading 10.4 g/t Au within 2.7m grading 7.0 g/t Au starting at 676.3m downhole (see 11-07-2024 PR HERE)

Chad Peters, Ridgeline's President, CEO & Director commented, "NGM continues to vector into the core of the gold system at SW Swift. Today's results expand the multi-kilometer gold footprint and demonstrate the impressive scale of the target, which is hosted in the same rocks and directly on trend of multiple mines in the Cortez District. Hole 8 has returned a 115-meter-thick consolidated gold zone ranging from 0.2 - 1.5 g/t gold and represents one of the best gram.meter intercepts drilled on the property to-date. With two RC pre-collars drilled last fall and ready for core tails, we anticipate a quick start to the drill program this spring to support the largest NGM exploration budget in the project's history."

Mr. Peters continues "The recent approval of the Swift Plan of Operations permit is a significant permitting milestone for the project that will support advanced exploration at the project with up to 200 acres of available exploration disturbance. Furthermore, the new permit will allow the NGM team to optimize drill hole locations to more aggressively target the proposed high-grade gold corridor at SW Swift in 2026."

NGM has incurred a total of US $14,482,000 in Phase I qualifying work expenditures through December 31, 2025, and will spend an additional US $5,518,000 at the Project through December 31, 2026 for a total of US $20,000,000. NGM will earn an initial 60% interest in the Project upon completion of Phase 1 of the earn-in agreement (see 09-22-2021 press release HERE)

SW25-008 Highlights
SW25-008 was designed to test along strike of high-grade gold intersected in SW24-006 at the projected intersection of a north-south trending fault corridor with the southwest projection of the Mill Creek thrust fault.

• The Mill Creek Thrust has now been intersected in multiple drill holes at Swift and is interpreted as a significant structural control and conduit for gold mineralization (Figure 2).
• Drilling has intersected an 114.6 thick consolidated gold zone (>0.2 g/t Au) starting at 779 meters downhole with highlight intercepts including:
  • 39.3m grading 0.2 g/t Au, 15.5m grading 0.2 g/t Au, 6.3m grading 0.4 g/t Au, and;
  • 33.7m grading 0.5 g/t Au, including 5.8m grading 1.5 g/t Au (Figure 2)

For a complete table of Swift assay results click HERE

Plan of Operations Exploration Permit

• NGM received approval in late 2025 for a 200-acre Plan of Operation ("PoO") exploration permit
• The increased surface disturbance limits will allow the NGM team to optimize drill hole locations across the project to aggressively target the proposed high-grade gold corridor at SW Swift in 2026

2025 Exploration Budget

• NGM has approved a 2025 exploration budget totaling US $5,518,000 to satisfy the Phase 1 earn-in requirements and drill up to five deep core holes at Swift
  • Drilling will continue testing down-dip and along strike of the known mineralized corridor at Southwest Swift to vector towards the interpreted core of a higher-grade gold zone
• Drilling is expected to begin as early as late Q1 with start dates dependent on weather dependent site accessibility

Figure 1: Plan view map of the Cortez District and Swift Project (left) and a zoom-in of the SW Swift and Mill Creek mineralized corridors (right) where 2025 drilling (SW25-008) has expanded the 4 square kilometer + gold mineralization footprint (red) at SW Swift

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7298/282799_28d1cf2c042cab64_003full.jpg

Figure 2: X-Section B-B' where NGM drilling has defined a kilometer-scale Carlin Type gold halo at the SW Swift target with the Mill Creek Thrust interpreted as a major fluid conduit and structural control. Note the thick, lower-grade gold intercepts (red) in every including 5.8m @ 1.5 g/t Au in SW25-008 as well as a higher-grade intercept of 1.1m @ 10.4 g/t in 2024 core hole SW24-006 

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7298/282799_28d1cf2c042cab64_004full.jpg

Swift Earn-In Terms
NGM retains the right to earn an initial 60% interest in the Swift project (see September 22, 2021 press release HERE) over an initial five year term by incurring a minimum of US $20.0 million in qualifying work expenditures. NGM retains the option to increase its interest up to 70% by incurring an additional US$10.0 million in qualifying work expenditures before December 31, 2029. Within 90 days of a joint venture decision to proceed with development and construction of a mine and/or related processing facilities on Swift, NGM will have a one-time option to elect to provide, or arrange for third-party, financing of Ridgeline's portion of debt financing required for the development in consideration, in either case, for an additional 5% interest in the project for a total of 75% (or 65% if the second option was not exercised).

QAQC Procedures
Samples are submitted to ALS Minerals, Elko Nevada or MSA Labs, Carlin Nevada, which are certified and accredited laboratories, independent of Nevada Gold Mines. HQ and NQ core samples are split in ½ at NGM facilities with one ½ bagged and sent for shipment to the laboratory. Samples are prepared using industry-standard prep methods and analysed using Au-AA23 (Au; 30 g fire assay) and ME-MS61 (48 element Suite; 0.25 g 4-acid digestion/ICP- MS) methods at ALS. MSA analyses utilizes a photon assay (Au-Ag, 500g) method with a 48 element Suite (0.25 g 4-acid digestion/ICP- MS). Both laboratories undertakes its own internal coarse and pulp duplicate analysis to ensure proper sample preparation and equipment calibration. Independent check samples are sent to either Bureau Veritas or MSA Labs. Nevada Gold Mines QAQC program includes regular insertion of CRM standards, duplicates, and blanks into the sample stream with a stringent review of all results completed internally by Nevada Gold Mines technical personnel.

Technical information contained in this news release has been prepared under the supervision of, and approved by, Michael T. Harp, CPG, the Company's Vice President, Exploration. Mr. Harp is a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Ridgeline Minerals Corp.
Ridgeline Minerals is a discovery focused precious and base metal explorer with a proven management team and a 200 km² exploration portfolio across seven projects in Nevada, USA. The Company is a hybrid explorer with a mix of 100%-owned exploration assets (Big Blue, Atlas, Bell Creek & Coyote) as well as two earn-in exploration agreements with Nevada Gold Mines at its Swift and Black Ridge projects and a third earn-in with South32 at its Selena project. More information about Ridgeline can be found at www.ridgelineminerals.com.

On behalf of the Board
"Chad Peters"
President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release

Cautionary Note regarding Forward Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, the assay results for core hole SW24-004 and the potential significance thereof. The words "potential", "anticipate", "meaningful", "significant", "pending", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "plan", "historical", "historic" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Information. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, Ridgeline has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions that the current objectives concerning the Swift project can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected; that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; and that all requisite information will be available in a timely manner. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Ridgeline to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to dependence on key personnel; risks related to unforeseen delays; risks related to historical data that has not been verified by the Company; as well as those factors discussed in Ridgeline's public disclosure record. Although Ridgeline has attempted to identify important factors that could affect Ridgeline and may cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, Ridgeline does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

(8) Source: Barrick Gold., 2024 Resource & Reserve Statement: https://s25.q4cdn.com/322814910/files/doc_news/2025/01/Barrick-Grows-Gold-and-Copper-Reserves-Significantly-Setting-It-Apart-From-Peers-as-It-Positions-for-Growth.pdf
(20) Source: Barrick Gold, 2025 Fourmile Deposit Update https://s25.q4cdn.com/322814910/files/doc_news/2025/09/Updated-Studies-Confirm-Barrick-s-Fourmile-as-One-of-This-Century-s-Most-Significant-Gold-Finds.pdf

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