Garrett Madison with Madison Mountaineering puts together adventure packages to take people up Everest

Getting to the top in any business can be a challenge, but one man has done so and is now enlisting local help to try a new venture.

Every picture truly does tell a story for Garrett Madison. Imagine making your living literally taking people to the top of the world.

"The people who climb with me are very motivated, Type A individuals -- people that love to suffer, people who want to save up their vacation time, train, spend a bunch of money on gear and then go suffer with me for a few days or up to a few weeks or a couple of months in the mountains," Madison said.

Madison grew up in Seattle, started working as a guide on Mt. Rainier in high school and now runs Madison Mountaineering, a self-described boutique guide service that specializes in leading expeditions to the tallest peaks you can climb. He personally has gone to the top of Mt. Everest seven times, with number eight slated for the spring. His clients must go through rigorous training and education to prepare for such an adventure. Even at that, there are enormous challenges.

Garrett Madison

"There's the wind, the cold, snow storms -- and then just being at altitude. It's not good for the body. We call it the death zone, above 26,000 feet because your body physically is dying, so you don't want to spend too long up there. You can't (train for that). You just have to be up there and down quickly. We also promote the use of supplemental oxygen because that helps our bodies and makes us a lot smarter, making better decisions," Madison said.

If someone thinks he or she can deal with all of that, there's also the cost.

"The base cost to join our team for Everest is $65,000, and then there's some add-ons if you'd like additional equipment or oxygen or to do a private climb," Madison said.

In an attempt to reach beyond an obviously limited market, Madison is partnering with Rich Brooks, a Pewaukee travel consultant to put together adventure packages that may be more realistic physically and financially. They'll launch this spring.

Garrett recently spoke to a group of Marquette University High School students and fathers about setting big goals and not being deterred while trying to reach them. On the mountain and in life, you cannot rest once you've reached your goal.

"Coming down is actually easier physically, but that's when most of the accidents happen because people let their guard down," Madison said.

The oldest person Madison has guided to the top of Everest was 65 years old. The oldest person to ever make an ascent was an 83-year-old from Japan.

If you're interested in learning more about Madison's business, CLICK HERE.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Brooks Vacations.