Author: Irene Pastore

Hello! I am a Personal Trainer, Yoga and Pilates Instructor who specializes in fitness after 50. My service is Live Streaming. Connect with me from anywhere in the world. I look forward to helping you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Climbing Mt. Everest – The Highest Mountain In The World

March 2, 2021

Elevation: 29,035 Feet Above Sea Level

Namesake: Colonel Sir George Everest 1790-1866, a British surveyor and geographer.

Location: Straddles the border between Nepal and Tibet.

First Climbers To Summit Mount Everest : Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay

First Climbers To Reach The Summit: Sir Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer 1919-2008 and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese Sherpa* 1914-1986, were the first to reach the summit in May 1953. 

Tibetan Name: Chomolungma.  Meaning “Mother Goddess of the World”. 

Number of Deaths: As of 2019 the number of deaths on Everest reached 300 + while attempting to reach the summit.

Climbing Costs: $60,000 to $65,000

Database: Himalyandatabase.com

Climbing Records

W O M E N

First Woman To Reach The Summit: Junko Tabei, 1939-2016, a Japanese mountaineer, reached the summit in 1975.

Oldest Woman To Climb Mt. Everest: Tamae Watanabe in 2002 at 63.  She broke her own record in 2012 at 73.

Youngest Female To Climb Mt. Everest: Malavath Purna, an Indian Mountaineer reached the summit in May 2014 at the age of 13 years 11 months.

First American Woman To Reach Summit: Stacy Allison in 1988

First American woman to reach Mt. Everest summit and survive the descent without supplemental oxygen in 2016: Melissa Arnot Reid

M E N

First Men To Reach The Summit: Sir Edmund Hillary a New Zealander 1919-2008 and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese Sherpa 1914-1986, reached the Summit May 1953.

First American Man To Reach The Summit: James Whittaker, and climbing his partner  Sherpa Nawang Gombu in 1975.

Oldest Man To Summit Mt. Everest: Katsusuke Yanagisawa, at the age of 71 in 2007.

Youngest Male To Summit Mt. Everest: Jordan Romero, an American, is  the youngest person to climb Everest reaching the summit on  5/22/10 at 13 years and 10 months.  Accompanied by his step mother, father and 3 sherpas.

SEVERAL SUMMITS AND NUMBER OF CLIMBING RECORDS

Ang Rita Sherpa 1948 – 2020,  Made 20 ascents without bottled oxygen.  The first person to ascend the mountain 10 times.  He was a national hero known as the “Snow Leopard”.

Apa Sherpa born in 1960, holds 13  world records for summiting Mount Everest 21 times, four of those without supplemental oxygen.

Kami Rita Sherpa, born in 1970,  has accomplished 24 ascents, and holds the world climbing record on Everest.

Dave Hahn born in 1961, is an American professional mountain guide, ski patroller, journalist and lecturer. In May 2013, he reached the summit of Mount Everest for the 15th time. The most for a non-Sherpa climber. (Source Wikipedia)

*Sherpa: A Guide

Discovery Of George Mallory’s Remains

George Mallory

George Mallory (1886-1924), an English mountaineer, and his climbing partner Andrew Irvine (1902-1924), may have reached the summit in 1924, when Mallory was 37, and Irvine 22.  They went missing on June 8, 1924. Mallory’s remains were found by the Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition in 1999, partially sponsored by NOVA and the BBC, 75 years after their disappearance.   

Andrew Irvine

Mallorys‘ remains were identified by name tags inside his clothing. The search team buried Mallory where he was found.  His remains had fractures to the right leg, and a large skull fracture. His climbing partner, Andrew Irvine, has never been found. 

Recent News Articles About Mt. Everest

Time Magazine, June 13, 2019 by Emily Barone, & Lon Tweeten – Greed, Weather and Inexperience: See How Mt. Everest’s Deadly Season Compares To Past Years.

New York Times, 5/26/19 By Kai Schultz, Jeffrey Gettleman, Mujib Mashal, Bhandra Sharma  ‘It was like a zoo’: death on an unruly, overcrowded Everest

The Washington Post, 5/31/19 By Jacob Bogage – How Mount Everest Became A Tourist Destination

Business Insider 5/28/19 By Hiliary Brueck – Dead bodies Litter Mount Everest because it’s so dangerous and expensive to get them down

MPora.com 9/24/15 By Tristan Kennedy – The Gruesome Truth About The Climbers Who Die on Mount Everest – The World’s Highest Mountain Is Also The World’s Highest Open Grave

University of Washington (UW News) 8/26/20 By Michele Ma – Mount Everest Success Rates Double, Death Rate Stays The Same Over Last 30 Years

National Geographic Resource Library 10/1/19 – Trash and Overcrowding At The Top Of The World

CBS News.com 6/6/19 By Sophie Lewis – 24,000 Pounds Of Garbage Was Just Removed From Mount Everest, Leading To The Discovery of Four Dead Bodies

Fox News.com  5/2/19 By Ann Schmidt – Mount Everest Is Covered In Garbage And Dead Bodies: Report

Fox News.com  3/22/19 By James Rogers – Melting Everest Glaciers Reveal Dead Climbers’ Bodies: Report

Ranker.com 11/26/19 By Sabrina Ithal – 12 Disturbing Stories Of Bodies Left On Top of Mount Everest (There are more stories on this site about Everest).

NYDailyNews.com 10/23/16 Associated Press – Junko Tabei, first woman to climb Mount Everest, dies aged 77

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City. To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.

Is Buckwheat The Same As Wheat?

March 2, 2021
  • WHEAT GRAINS
  • BUCKWHEAT NOODLES
  • BUCKWHEAT BREAD
  • CROISSANTS MADE FROM WHEAT
  • BUCKWHEAT SEEDS
  • FOCACCIA WHEAT BREAD
  • WHEAT CROP
  • BUCKWHEAT PUMPKIN CAKE

Buckwheat Is A Seed

Buckwheat is a triangular shaped seed. Wheat is a grain. Botanically they are not the same. Rhubarb, a vegetable, is a close relative of buckwheat. Wheat contains gluten, while buckwheat is gluten-free. Buckwheat is a versatile substitute for wheat, in cooking and baking.

Wheat Is A Grain

Buckwheat flour is available in dark and light, and is used to produce cookies, quick breads, pancakes, and dishes similar to cooked rice. It is also consumed as a warm breakfast cereal.

Do You Have Gluten Sensitivity?

If you’re trying to avoid gluten, visit the Celiac Disease Foundation to find helpful information about gluten-free food.

Buckwheat Flower

Irene Pastore is a native New Yorker, health and fitness blogger, and personal trainer. She owns this website, and authors each blog post. To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.

How To Buy An Exercise Ball

March 2, 2021
Exercise Balls Are Sold According To Height

Some Manufacturers Offer Weight Capacity Guidelines

Use this chart, to take the guesswork out of buying the correct size exercise ball.

5’7″ or shorter use a 55-centimeter ball.

5’7″ to 6’4″ use a 65-centimeter ball.

Taller than 6’4″ use a 75-centimeter ball.

Inflate the ball so that it’s firm. When you sit on it, your knees and hips should form a 90 degree angle.

Bell Peppers and Broccoli Month – March 2021

March 2, 2021
STEAMED BROCCOLI DISH

Broccoli

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable cultivated as far back as ancient Rome.  Close relatives are Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, and Cabbage.

How To Prepare: Raw, Steamed, Sautéed,  Chopped.

Broccoli Benefits: Vitamin C, K, Potassium, Fiber, Folate.

Quick Broccoli Meals: Linguine & Broccoli, Side of Broccoli, Red Peppers & Broccoli.

Red Peppers

B E L L P E P P E R S

Red Bell Peppers are  mild, and sweet tasting vegetable that belongs to the nightshade family of plants, along with chili pepper, cayenne pepper, eggplant, tomatoes and white potatoes.  Botanically they are actually considered a fruit.  The most common varieties are red, yellow, and purple, but they are also found in  green, dark purple, white, and lavender colors.

Red Bell Peppers Benefits: Vitamin A, C, B6, Antioxidants.

How To Prepare: Chopped, Raw, Sautéed, Steamed, Baked.

Quick Meals: Red Bell Peppers are a dazzling addition to a tossed salad.  Add to any pasta dish, or sautée with onions as a side dish.

Irene Pastore is a native New Yorker, health and fitness blogger, and personal trainer. She owns this website, and authors each blog post. To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.

Exercise History: Physical Therapy 1890

February 24, 2021

19TH CENTURY PHYSICAL THERAPY MACHINE

BACK STRENGTHENING MACHINE 1890

A well-dressed Victorian lady demonstrates a late 19th century Back Strengthener and Abdominal Stretch Machine, invented by a Swiss physician.

She’s wearing two straps: one around her shoulder, and the other around her waist. The straps activate the cylindrical weight located at the bottom of the machine.

To prevent falling forward, there is a rectangular plate to lean against, shown as positioned above the knee in this photograph.

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City. To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.