APPLETON (NBC 26) — A new kind of gym is coming to the Appleton area, putting the "work" in workout.
- Odyssey Climbing + Fitness, a popular indoor climbing gym, plans to open a new location in Grand Chute, expanding its Northeast Wisconsin presence
- Co-founder Ben Ganther says the idea was sparked by the lack of climbing facilities between Green Bay and Oshkosh
- The Grand Chute gym will offer inclusive climbing experiences for all skill levels, building on the success of their Ashwaubenon location
- The Ashwaubenon gym, opened in 2023, quickly gained a loyal following among local climbers
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Odyssey Climbing + Fitness, an indoor climbing gym, plans to open a second location in Grand Chute.
Co-founder Ben Ganther shared the inspiration behind their venture, saying: "We always knew that we wanted a location in Green Bay and Appleton.” The first Odyssey location opened in Ashwaubenon in 2023, filling a gap in Northeast Wisconsin’s climbing community.
“My family is from Northeast Wisconsin originally,” Ganther explained. “We would always come up on weekends to visit and literally bring our climbing gear with us because we just assumed there was a climbing gym somewhere from Green Bay to Oshkosh.
"When we saw there wasn’t, we said, ‘Huh, maybe we should start working on this,'" he added.
Two years later, Ganther said Odyssey has built a loyal customer base, which led to the decision to expand. The new Grand Chute location will feature many of the same elements that made Ashwaubenon a success.
Derek Toshner, a local climber who picked up the sport in college, said the new gym is a great opportunity for the community. “I’m so glad this is here. I mean, climbing has been around for a long time, but nobody’s really had an outlet here to learn this until recently and now another one coming soon!
A key selling point for Odyssey is being open to anyone interested in climbing. Whether you’re an experienced climber or a beginner facing the tallest indoor climbing walls in the state (per Ganther—the climbing walls stand at 48ft tall), Ganther said their team is there to help.
“If it’s your first time, we’re going to break it down for you," Ganther said. "We’re going to make it really easy."
Although there isn’t a set opening date for the Grand Chute location yet, Odyssey Climbing + Fitness encourages everyone to stay tuned to their social media and website for updates.
