Mandy Moore Reaches Mount Everest Base Camp as Death Toll Rises to 11 This Season

Actress/singer Mandy Moore celebrated America’s Memorial Day holiday at Mount Everest’s base camp in Nepal after successfully completing the grueling trek. You go, girl!

The This Is Us star achieved her goal on Sunday after spending more than a week hiking through challenging terrain with a trio of friends, including experienced Alpine guide Melissa Arnot.

She documented their victorious moment with an Instagram photo, in which Mandy and her pals jump for joy with their arms outstretched in triumph at the top of the world.

Moore explained the feat was far from easy, detailing the challenges she faced hiking through Nepal's terrain in pursuit of the base of the world’s tallest mountain.

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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

“Breathing at altitude, for instance, is not easy,” she wrote.

“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.”

Moore reflected on the mountaineers who came before her and paid tribute to the hikers who have died on the immense peaks.

“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,” she wrote.

The actress continued: “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.”

So far, 11 Everest hikers have died trying to reach the summit this season.

According to The Washington Post, one of the contributing factors is overcrowding. When too many people try to ascend at once, it creates a backlog, leaving climbers at deadly altitudes for an extended amount of time.