Johannesburg - Friends of Saray Khumalo received their first message from the mountaineer two days after she had to be airlifted off Everest to a medical facility in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Khumalo’s brief WhatsApp message on Friday afternoon read: "Hi all, thank you so much for all the love and support.
"I didn’t summit but she was what I expected and more. I still thank God for the opportunity and experience.
"Looking after my sunburn and frostbite for now. See you all soon.”
This was Khumalo’s third attempt to reach the top of the world’s highest mountain but on Wednesday she experienced difficulties.
According to a WhatsApp post, Lloyd Scot Hudson, who was in hospital with her said that Khumalo told him that she fell and struck her face and in the process lost her glasses.
She was just 100 metres from the top but was suffering from frostbite as well.
“She had to be evacuated from Cape Two to Kathmandu,” said her friend Sarieta Schultz.
Khumalo was supposed to have began her summit attempt a day earlier, however, was prevented from doing so by high winds.
The climber's first attempt to reach the roof of the world was in 2014, which had to be abandoned when an avalanche killed 16 Sherpas.
A massive earthquake in Nepal put an end to her second attempt the following year.
Besides her Everest attempts, Khumalo has climbed other high peaks over the last five years such as Kilimanjaro, Mera Peak and Lobuche East in Nepal, and Elbrus in Russia.
The highest peak was Aconcagua in Argentina, which is 6980m.