Greg Mortenson

Greg Mortenson was an American who in 1993 attempted to climb K2 in Pakistan to fulfill a promise to his younger sister who had died the year before. Unable to make the summit of the mountain, Mortenson began to descend when he became lost and wandered into the village of Korphe. The villagers took him in and nursed him back to health. While he was there, Mortenson learned of the need for a school in the village to educate the children, particularly the girls. Before he left, Mortenson promised to return to build a school. This promise led to the formation of the Non-Government Organization, Central Asia Institute.

In the six years after meeting the people of Korphe, Mortenson and CAI returned to Pakistan multiple times to build many schools. Then, while at the southern entrance to the Irshad, Mortenson met a squadron of Kirghiz horsemen who had...