Nathaniel Smelser is one of just 2,000 people to reach the summit of Mt. Everest.
It is the highest mountain in the world - a place where you look down to see clouds.
And Nathaniel Smelser truly knows how it feels to be there.
Smelser, a Manatee County resident recently returned from a 60-day trek to the top of Mt. Everest, located in the Hymalaya mountain range in Nepal.
During his excursion, Smelser burned 10,000 calories a day lost 13 pounds of muscle and nearly died in an avalanche.
That's why Smelser spent more time preparing for the mountain than actually climbing it.
"We climbed through the night with headlamps, bitter cold, frozen toes, frozen fingers, pitch black," said Smelser, the owner of a custom furniture company and avid mountain climber. "You have to change the physiology of your body to get up to those altitudes."
So how does Smelser do that in flat, sea-level Florida?
A creative workout plan helps. Smelser mixes grueling walks in deep beach sand with tires tied to him with five-day-a-week visits to the gym. And his specialty is hitting the stairmaster with his fully loaded climbing backpack strapped on.
Smelser's two workout partners, both former professional football players, marvel at his dedication - but understand.
"What he was trying to do, a mistake could cost him his life," said Robert "Pig" Goff, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer player.
Smelser, who is preparing for more climbs, said he wants to reach the highest points in every continent and that requires him staying in peak physical condition.
"It just takes extreme amounts of energy,'' said Smelser, one of just 2,000 people to reach the Everest summit. "That you're putting out in that type of atmosphere."
