She made it!

Saray Khumalo received a hero’s welcome at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport recently after she made history and became the first black African woman to have climbed Mount Everest. The skin on her face is still chapped from the harsh conditions she faced on the mountain.

Her patience and perseverance paid off when she finally reached the summit on her fourth attempt. This achievement was no small feat – Everest is considered one of the most dangerous mountains in the world to climb.

The preparation to climb to the top includes so-called rotations, during which the body gradually acclimatises to the increasing altitude, reduced air pressure and oxygen deficit. “Teams will depart Base Camp very early, somewhere between 1am and 3am, [when there is] less danger from falling or melting ice, and then go through the incredible Khumbu Icefall, arriving at Camp 1,” Saray wrote on Facebook.

She is grateful for her huge achievement and hope that many South Africans, especially women, will attempt to follow in her footsteps. “It is such an honour and a privilege to be the one to actually do it. Now I know how much of a big deal it is for black African women.”