For the next 10 days, This Is Us star Mandy Moore won’t be making anyone cry… except maybe herself. It won’t be due to a heart-wrenching storyline on her NBC tearjerker, either. Rather, Moore is trekking to Mt. Everest base camp — a journey she understands will be filled with “physical discomfort, personal challenge AND fundamental spiritual growth.” Happily for fans, Moore is sharing photos and insight along the way, meaning we get to come along for the trek.
Moore first took to Instagram on Thursday to talk about getting into the right headspace for the adventure (with the right hands guiding her). “I went into this Everest viewing trek relatively blind. Not unprepared, mind you… but I wanted to venture forward into the unknown with an open mind and heart and as free of expectations as possible,” explained Moore, an avid hiker who summited Mt. Kilimanjaro last year. Still, despite being made acutely aware of the “physical discomfort, personal challenge AND fundamental spiritual growth” the journey would entail, Moore pointed out that she felt confident thanks to her Eddie Bauer alpine guide and “Everest extraordinaire” Melissa Reid Arnot. Understandably so, since Arnot has summited Everest an incredible six times.
The This Is Us star also revealed that their hiking group had opted to refer to their experience as an “Everest viewing trek,” so as not to place undue emphasis on the final destination as opposed to the journey itself.
And, from what we can tell so far, Moore certainly seems to be soaking up every second of that journey. “In addition to living out this bucket list dream, being gently placed in the middle of this extraordinary country of Nepal and bearing witness to the customs and culture of the Sherpa people has been spellbinding,” she wrote. “So much to take in, in every way. 3 days in, I’m writing this from 11,500 feet, tucked away in the terraced village of Namche (also known as the Sherpa center of the Khumbu Valley) as transparent clouds of mist seem to obscure our view of the hustle and bustle below and then just as quickly, glide away to reveal the towering peaks of Kongde Ri and Kwande La.”
Moore and the rest of her group, which includes her hairstylist BFF Ashley Streicher and International Rescue Committee educator Chase Weideman, spent the past two days acclimatizing and preparing their bodies with short day treks. On Friday, Moore gave credit where credit is due by differentiating her group’s “Everest viewing trek” from that of the experienced and professional-level mountaineers who climb Everest.
She also shared a little more of her “why,” elaborating on her partnership with Eddie Bauer and the brand’s support of programs like The Juniper Fund — an organization providing financial support and vocational training to the families of local workers who’ve been killed working in the Himalayas.
To think, Moore is only a few days into the adventurous journey and already seems to have taken so much away from it. We can’t wait to see what heights she reaches next, literally and figuratively.
Source: Read Full Article