Mandy Moore Embarks on Everest

Mandy Moore. Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (9718369ch)

Oh, Mandy!

Television’s favorite timeline-traveling mom can now add Mount Everest climber to her title.

The star of This Is Us embarked on quite a walk to remember as she reached base camp on the world’s highest mountain.

“We hiked to base camp-a weekend long trip through the Himalayas that anyone hiking the south side of Everest must journey through to begin their climb,”

The 35-year-old completed the trek with her friends and captured many pictures to show her fans.

View this post on Instagram

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

View this post on Instagram

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

While Mandy didn’t go all the way to the peak — “Everest takes about 2 months total to climb to the top!” she said — she did reach 17,600 feet above sea level.

Well done, Mandy!