Mandy Moore Makes It to Mount Everest Base Camp: 'There’s No Way to Distill This Experience'

Jackie Willis‍
Updated

Mandy Moore made it up the mountain!

On Wednesday, the This Is Us star shared photos from her intense and dangerous journey to Mount Everest base camp, along with a lengthy message about how the experience had changed her. Just this year, 11 people have died trying to climb the mountain, though Moore noted in a previous post that she was only completing 1/6 of the trip that most experienced climbers make.

"There’s no way to distill this experience down to a few sentences. There’s no way to encapsulate what coursed through our veins and brains living in the mountains this past week. It will come in time," Moore began. "I think I’m slowly learning that I feel most like me when I’m outdoors. It’s couldn’t be any more outside my every day realm and yet there’s something entirely refreshing about being tasked with nothing more than breathing and slowly putting one foot in front of the other."

The 35-year-old actress went on to praise the people who traveled with her on the challenging hike. "One thing I know for certain is that this trip was what it was thanks in large part to the company. Being able to adventure alongside those you love deeply ....is an absolute game changer," she gushed. "We shared everything: laughs, toilet paper, snacks, skincare, the silly songs that got stuck in our heads, milk tea, selfies, the 'happy naturals', etc.... all the makings of a quality trip to the most remarkable place any of us have ever been. I’m also left inspired by the collective perseverance this group had to help each other every step of the way and to watch as we all met this shared goal of reaching base camp together is something I’ll never forget."

Moore also shared some wisdom with her Instagram followers, concluding, "It’s easy to daydream and make big plans when you’re down at sea level but it’s a much taller order to do it while in the grips of something truly difficult. Message received. I dug deep while in the midst of all of those pressure breaths and made a mental list of things that scared me but I was anxious to tackle. Now that I’m back on solid ground, I can’t wait to home and get to it. #whyihike #ebpartner"

There’s no way to distill this experience down to a few sentences. There’s no way to encapsulate what coursed through our veins and brains living in the mountains this past week. It will come in time. I think I’m slowly learning that I feel most like me when I’m outdoors. It’s couldn’t be any more outside my every day realm and yet there’s something entirely refreshing about being tasked with nothing more than breathing and slowly putting one foot in front of the other. One thing I know for certain is that this trip was what it was thanks in large part to the company. Being able to adventure alongside those you love deeply (@streicherhair, @chaseweideman, @thejendaltonshow) and new friends alike (@starfire_reid, @julianapse, @tyler__reid, @sherpatseringdolker), is an absolute gamechanger. We shared everything: laughs, toilet paper, snacks, skincare, the silly songs that got stuck in our heads, milk tea, selfies, the “happy naturals”, etc.... all the makings of a quality trip to the most remarkable place any of us have ever been. I’m also left inspired by the collective perseverance this group had to help each other every step of the way and to watch as we all met this shared goal of reaching base camp together is something I’ll never forget. Thank you to our friends at @eddiebauer for making this happen! And to the true MVP of this trek, @melissaarnot: thank you for sharing such a substantial piece of yourself and this second home of yours with us. It’s every bit as magical as you described: Your expertise, your stories, your wisdom, your belief in us.... set the tone for this entire experience.... The funny thing is, Melissa kept mentioning this idea of meditating and making goals while we were in the midst of the “pain cave”. It’s easy to daydream and make big plans when you’re down at sea level but it’s a much taller order to do it while in the grips of something truly difficult. Message received. I dug deep while in the midst of all of those pressure breaths and made a mental list of things that scared me but I was anxious to tackle. Now that I’m back on solid ground, I can’t wait to home and get to it. #whyihike #ebpartner

A post shared by Mandy Moore (@mandymooremm) on May 29, 2019 at 12:27am PDT

In another photo, Moore and her pals are jumping for joy as they arrive at base camp. "There is so much magic in these mountains. They represent adventure in the grandest form and in a language all their own," she captioned the pic.

There is so much magic in these mountains. They represent adventure in the grandest form and in a language all their own. The idea of standing at the base of the world's tallest peak with @eddiebauer, a brand that has been outfitting record-setting climbers since the beginning - from the first American ascent in 1963 (Jim Whittaker) to our guide @melissaarnot, the first American Woman to ascend and descend Everest without oxygen, is truly beyond my wildest imagination. Traversing this terrain has its challenges. Breathing at altitude, for instance, is not easy. One of the greatest gifts/lessons that Melissa simultaneously bestowed on us during this trek was the fine art of pressure breathing. It makes all the difference as you climb higher. It’s essentially a big inhale and a sharp, forceful exhale, like you’re blowing out a candle across the room, to open up your lungs, allowing you to use more oxygen, etc... Besides hydration and staying nourished, breathing is THE vital key in the fight against altitude sickness. It’s also a major takeaway that I will be employing back to the real world whether I’m in the midst of a tough workout or a weird day. Mind blown. So as we weaved around the Himalayas from 14,400ft-16,200ft-17,600ft: this particular technique was essential in propelling us forward. Needless to say, this part of the world holds a very special place in @melissaarnot’s heart so her willingness to share it, as well as her time, knowledge and endless trove of stories were so appreciated by all of us lucky enough to walk alongside her this past week. Her belief in our abilities to keep moving and ultimately make it to the base of the Mighty, Mighty Mt. Everest was so powerful. Spoiler alert: we made it!!! It’s impossible to be lucky enough to arrive at the foot of these mammoth peaks and not be attuned to the palpable energy of all of those who came before and lost their lives in these mountains. The wave of emotion: respect, reverence, appreciation....that washed over us as we took in the prayer flags and yellow domed tents of basecamp AND sat on the rocks regarding the chortens that dot the hillside of the Tukla Pass the day before, profoundly

A post shared by Mandy Moore (@mandymooremm) on May 27, 2019 at 3:15am PDT

Moore has previously expressed that she has an adventuresome spirit. In the January 2018 issue of Shape, she shared her desire to go on a hiking trip with Taylor Goldsmith for their honeymoon.

“I do want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro," she shared. Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania and is the highest mountain in Africa. "That's a bucket list item -- maybe on the next hiatus. I’ve already told Taylor that I may incorporate it into the honeymoon."

Here's more with the outdoorsy actress:

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