Verso l’Alto Climbing is the answer to the Lansing Metro area’s lack of an integrated full-service climbing and lifestyle offering, presenting a clear first-mover advantage. The third-space model—blending fitness, community engagement, and social spaces—aligns with national trends in experiential fitness. There is already a community of climbers in the Lansing area that has vocalized their desire for a full-service climbing gym, validating the market opportunity. With rock climbing becoming a mainstream sport, the popularity of indoor climbing has been steadily increasing.
Beyond just the existing climbing demand, there is an untapped opportunity to provide meaningful, growth-oriented entertainment for the Lansing area. In our fast paced, social media centered culture, there is a disconnect between exercise and community, between fun and growth, and between body and soul. Climbing is a way to have meaningful exercise with real connection with others, instead of just repetitive sets of lifting weights or running circles around a track.
Verso l’Alto Climbing will go a step further than other facilities by infusing our Christian faith into our business. A faith based climbing gym addresses both the desire to push the human body to go further and higher, while also offering the thrill of spirit-filled adventure. Blending Christian spirituality with the exertion of climbing, Verso l’Alto Climbing will provide meaningful exercise, challenging our customers physically and mentally, in a faith-based, family centered atmosphere that regular gyms don’t offer.
Founded in April 2025 by Brian Goulet and Cody Ketchum, who are both avid climbers and faithful Catholics. They seek to unite their passion for Jesus and climbing. The gym’s name—Italian for “To the Heights”—echoes the mindset of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, the inspiration for the gym. Verso l’Alto Climbing will exist to unite spiritual striving with physical exertion, Christianity with climbing. While Verso l’Alto Climbing will have Jesus at the center of its purpose, being a believer will never be a requirement, or even an expectation, to climb at our gym. We will treat all with the love that Jesus demanded his followers to treat everyone with.
The Team
Brian Goulet – Co-Founder
Brian has three years of direct experience in the climbing industry as a rock wall instructor, along with more than a decade of experience working in church youth ministry, and six years as head counselor at a summer camp. Previously employed as quality inspector in manufacturing, he has an eye for detail and safety. Brian loves Jesus and rock climbing and believes that uniting both of those loves will be enriching physically and spiritually to others.
Cody Ketchum – Co-Founder
Cody brings over fourteen years of leadership experience in retail. as well as a background in technology support with a focus on client retention, marketing, user experience, and process automation. As an avid rock climber for the past six years, Cody understands firsthand the physical and mental benefits that climbing offers.
St. Pier Giorgio Frassati – Our Inspiration
100 years ago, there was an Italian man who climbed the Alps and loved Jesus Christ. His name was Pier Giorgio Frassati, and he lived to serve those in need. Pier Giorgio was an avid mountaineer in Italy in the early 20th century. His mountaineering journeys also served as an opportunity to evangelize to those around him through recitation of prayer and scripture. His drive in life was to bring himself and those around him closer to God. His service to the poor and needy even extended to hindering himself, in cases where he gave up his coat or bus fare to those less fortunate. His motto, “Verso l’Alto!” meaning “To the Heights!”, is a call to strive not just to the summit of the mountain, but beyond to heights of heaven, to God Himself. Pier Giorgio contracted Polio at age 24 and passed away on July 4, 1925. 100 years later, he is now canonized a saint by the Catholic Church. He is the inspiration for us to open Verso l’Alto Climbing.