3000 Cups Of Tea: Revisiting The Greg Mortenson Story

It has been some time since we've had any kind of update on the Greg Mortenson story. You'll recall, he's the climber-turned-author-turned-humanitarian who wrote the book Three Cups of Tea, and then proceeded to use his platform to raise funds to build schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. His organization, the Central Asian Institute (CAI) was viewed as a model for doing good in struggling countries.

But then, in 2011 Mortenson became the subject of a hard-hitting 60 Minutes piece that called into question the stories he wrote about in his books, how the money CAI was raising was being spent, and whether or not schools were being built at all. That followed on the heels of an article written by John Krakauer entitled Three Cups of Deceit, which further blasted Mortenson, essentially calling him a liar and a fraud. In a matter of a few months, Mortenson's world crumbled around him, and CAI's funding dropped dramatically. Civil lawsuits were raised against him, although most were quickly dismissed, and for his part Mortenson disappeared from the limelight, with not much more to be told.

That is, until now.

Two filmmakers, Jennifer Jordan and Jeff Roads, are working on a documentary that delves back into the Greg Mortenson story. Their film is called 3000 Cups of Tea (see trailer below), and it is nearing completion. They say they have a very different side of the story to tell, and that their experience with CAI, and Mortenson's work, does not resemble what 60 Minutes reported. They have visited many of the schools that were the result of Greg's work, and they say that aside from a few that aren't up and running, most of them are serving the purpose that their founder intended.


Recently, Jennifer and Jeff gave ExWeb an interview about their work, and what they had to say was quite interesting. While they don't address all of the issues raised against Mortenson – they'll save that for the film – they certainly do offer a different view from what has been the public story over the past few years.

The filmmakers are seeking $40,000 to complete their documentary so they can get it out to the public to see. To that end, they've set up a donation page for anyone who would like to contribute. They hope to wrap up production soon and have the film released sometime this year.

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing the final product. When the 60 Minutes and Krakauer story broke, it was big news in the adventure and mountaineering community. It seems only fitting that we report on the other side of the story too. It is also important to point out that Mortenson and CAI continue to press ahead with their work, despite funding dropping off by 80%. Apparently, the author was able to build up a sustainable fund to keep his efforts going, even when hard times set in. That's a far cry from the financial mismanagement that was reported in 2011.

Hopefully we'll hear more about this soon.


"3,000 Cups of Tea" Trailer from Jennifer Jordan on Vimeo.

Video: Mountain Biking Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor

The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow patch of land located in northeast Afghanistan that separates Tajikistan and Pakistan. The Corridor was once used a trade route hundreds of years ago, but as better routes over both land and sea developed, it was all but forgotten. Today it is seldom visited by westerners but by all accounts it is a breathtakingly beautiful and rugged place.

In the video below, professional mountain biker Matt Hunter and some of his closest friends traveled to Afghanistan to ride through Wakhan. They captured their adventure with the new Sony Action Cam and produced an outstanding short film of their experiences. If you're in the mood for a mountain biking adventure, you won't want to miss out on this one.

Video: EpicTV Interviews Mike Libecki

Explorer and climber Mike Libecki was named a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year for putting up first ascents in Borneo and making first descents on snowboards in Afghanistan. Recently he sat down with the crew over at EpicTV to conduct a video interview of what he has been up to since. In the interview he talks about climbing in Antarctica, Yemen and much, much more. Some of the real highlights of the video are some of his amazing photos from the places he has been. Excellent stuff.

Nat Geo Adventurer Of The Year Travels The Streets Of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a country that has been embroiled in turmoil and conflict for decades. Since the Russians invaded back in 1979, the nation has been at war in some form or another. When the Russians pulled out and went home in 1989, an internal struggle grew with the Taliban coming to power. 11 years ago they were over thrown by an invading American force hell-bent on finding and destroying al-Qaeda. That conflict is finally starting to wind down as well, but Afghanis are bracing for a renewed civil war which will help decide what course the country charts for the future.

That is the historical and cultural landscape in which National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Shannon Galpin operates with her amazing Streets of Afghanistan project. The touring photo and art exhibit, which is on display in Kabul now, is the result of a collaboration between photographers from within Afghanistan itself and from the West. The images that they have captured provide a mix of emotions, at times uplifting and joyful, and at others heartbreaking and sad. They are scenes of life from  that country, which much like life everywhere else on the planet, has both moments of serenity and chaos. 

The photos weren't just taken and then hung on a wall somewhere. Quite the contrary actually. The images were blown-up to life-size, which goes a long way toward further conveying the sense of actually being there. The exhibit originally went on display in mountain towns in Colorado and has since garnered more widespread attention elsewhere. Galpin felt it was important to take it to Afghanistan itself however and in October that dream became reality. 

Shannon also happens to be a tireless advocate of women's rights and in a country life Afghanistan that can be a challenging cause to take up. But it is clear that she feels a deep connection with the country and feels that now is a time to work for change. With that idea in mind, she launched her non-proft organization Mountain2Mountain back in 2006 in an effort to promote educational opportunities for women living in conflict zones around the world. 

This is an amazing project that has found a way to use art and culture to create bridges of understand and new opportunities for a country that continues to struggle for peace. 

Kiwi Climbers Make First Ascent In Afghanistan

New Zealand climbers Pat Deavoll and Maryrose Fowlie have made a first ascent in a remote region of Afghanistan. The duo traveled to the Wakhan Corridor in late July where they are believed to have become the first to climb a peak called Koh-e-Rant, located near the Upper Qala Panja Glacier.

While details are a bit thin, Pat shared the news with the Alpinist last week and they posted the story online yesterday. The original intention was for Pat and her usual climbing partner Paul Knott to climb a peak called Rohazon Zom, but at the last minute Paul had to pull out. Maryrose stepped in however, joining the team that also consisted of Bill Byrch.

The three climbers spent eight days on the Qala Panja icefall which required a lot of "hard work" according to Pat. Eventually they topped out on August 2nd and they judged the altitude of Koh-e-Rant to be between 5850 meters (19,193 ft) and 6050 meters (19,849 ft). GPS and altimeter readings varied greatly apparently. There doesn't appear to be any records of previous ascents and Pat says they are the first climbing team to visit this particular region since a French squad back in 1968.

The trip home wasn't without challenges either. A border dispute between Afghanistan and Tajikistan had the checkpoints closed down and it required a few extra days of patience and persistence to get across. When they left, the dispute still hadn't been resolved but the Kiwi ladies, along with a number of other travelers were able to convince officials to let them pass.

A little extra adventure never hurt anyone, right?

Non-Proft Seeks Kickstarter Funding To Bring Photo Exhibit Home To Afganistan

Mountain2Mountain is a non-proft dedicated to promoting the ability for women and girls to act as catalysts of change in developing countries across the world. The organization sees women as an underutilized resource in nations that refuse to grant them rights and privileges due to outdated views on gender roles. Founded in 2006, M2M first began working in Afghanistan, where the organization has already opened many opportunities for females that didn't exist even a decade ago.

Last year the organization inspired many with a powerful photo exhibit entitled Streets of Afghanistan. The images used in the exhibition were captured by 11 prominent Western and Afghan photographers, including Farzana Wahidy, the first female Afghani photog to work for international wire services such as the Associated Press. The exhibit displayed the life-sized photos in such a way to portray a street scene in Kabul and using kites, music and video, vewers became immersed in the culture of the place.

By all accounts the exhibition was a big success, helping to dispel stereotypes of modern Afghan life. Now, Mountain2Mountain are hoping to take the same exhibit home to the Afghani people and as such they've launched a Kickstarter program with the hope of raising funds to do just that. The group hopes to raise as much as $20,000 to help pay for the costs of moving the art exhibit to Afghanistan. Those costs will offset production, transportation and security in Kabul.

For more information on Streets of Afghanistan checkout the Kickstarter page, which also has some amazing sample images as well.

Civil Lawsuit Against Greg Mortenson Tossed Out Of Court

After being ordered to reimburse his non-profit organization, the Central Asia Institute, $1 million a few weeks back, author/mountaineer/philanthropist Greg Mortenson did get some good news yesterday. The judge overseeing a civil suit that was brought against Mortenson by readers of his books, Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools, tossed out the case. The ruling will hopefully bring an end to the whole affair, which has dogged the author since a 60 Minutes report last year.

In dismissing this case, Judge Sam Haddon called the claims "flimsy and speculative." The case was filed against Mortenson, Penguin Books and CAI by disgruntled readers who felt that the author had fabricated details of his story in order to make them sound more impressive than they really were. Many of those fabrications (or outright lies depending on who you ask) were revealed in an essay by John Krakauer entitled Three Cups of Deceit.

With this case finally put to bed, Mortenson should finally be able to talk more openly about his side of the story and hopefully get back to running CAI and building more schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. For the past year he has kept a low profile and has seldom spoke about the subject. While his actions and mismanagement of the non-profit have disillusioned many, he may now be able to at least attempt to repair his reputation and continue the good work he has done.

Considering that I have written regularly about Mortenson and the case against him, I thought it was also important to post this story, which does give him a measure of vindication. While I still think his "exaggerations" in his books were inexcusable, I do think he has done some very good things, and as I've said in the past, I hate to see his work overshadowed in this way, but then again he has brought most of this on himself.

The earlier court order that ruled he needed to reimburse CAI the $1 million also made provisions for handling management of the organization moving forward. Hopefully that new structure will keep operations on the up and up and provide a more stable environment all around.

I also hope that this is the end of all story.

Greg Mortenson Ordered To Reimburse CAI $1 Million

Ever since Jon Krakauer published his Three Cups of Deceit piece and 60 Minutes ran their exposè on author/mountaineer Greg Mortenson, we've all been waiting for the results of an investigation that was launched by the Montana Attorney General. Those results were released earlier today and they aren't good for Mortenson.

According to their findings there has been substantial mishandling of funds at Mortenson's non-profit organization the Central Asia Institute. The charity was founded to help raise funds for Mortenson's work in the Himalaya, where he built schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Krakauer and 60 Minutes alleged that CAI was used to help promote Mortenson himself and line his own pockets.

The Montana AG report, which you can read in it's entirety over at Outside Online, says that Mortenson used CAI funds to pay for personal travel and items for his family. The report accuses him of "significant lapses in judgement" in regards to how the organization has been run and points out a "lack of financial accountability" as well. For instance, the charity purchased nearly $4 million worth of Mortenson's two books Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools, allowing him to reap the profits. The records show that he also spent more than $2 million on charter flights to speaking engagements and an additional $75,276 was spent on personal items for his family.  As a result of these findings, which resulted from a months long investigation, Mortenson has been ordered to reimburse CAI over $1 million.

CAI's board has been called to task as well as most of them did little or nothing to challenge Mortenson's use of fund or the way he ran the organization. They are sighted in the AG report too and reprimanded for  not providing more oversight.

What happens from here remains to be seen. It seems that CAI has been more diligent with its operations since the whole affair started, but the scrutiny of the public has a way of doing that to an organization. As I've said many times before, Mortenson's work has been tremendous and it is a shame that these scandals have overshadowed that. Perhaps if he can pay back the money and get CAI back on track, he can continue building those schools.

Also, these findings have no impact on a possible pending class action lawsuit against Mortenson regarding his claims in his books, some of which appear to be at the very least highly exaggerated. Some of his claims have been challenged by a number of people and readers who bought into his story have often felt deceived. What will happen with those legal wranglings remain to be seen.

Afghanistan's Secret Peaks 2012 Expedition Announced

A small team of climbers has announced an interesting expedition that is set to take place this summer in the Wakhan region of Afghanistan. Dubbed the Afghanistan's Secret Peaks Expedition, the team hopes to trek the length of the remote Wakhan Corridor, visiting two unexplored valleys and attempting several first ascents along the way. Once summited, they also plan to paraglide from the top, giving them unique views of the unexplored territory below. Finally, they hope to document the entire journey on film as well.

The expedition, which is expected to begin in June of this year, is taking a "leave no trace" approach to exploring the rugged and beautiful Wakhan region. The team plans to travel in a carbon neutral fashion and hopes to minimize their impact on the environments that they are passing through. The use of the paragliders is part of that approach, as they'll be used to take arial photographs and video footage along the way.

The Wakhan Corridor is located in the north-east corner of Afghanistan, and stretches between that country and China. It serves as boundary between Tajikistan to the north, and Pakistan to the south, and was once a popular trade route for merchant caravans traveling from the Far East to Europe. The area has a reputation for having unpredictable weather, matched with very rugged terrain, and there are parts of the area that have remained mostly inaccessible for centuries. With plenty of snowcapped mountain peaks, it is also a huge draw for climbers looking to bag virgin peaks.

For me personally, the Wakhan region remains on my list of "must visit" places. I've heard that it is breathtakingly beautiful and that the people that live there are friendly and accommodating. It has started to become a popular trekking destination, although visitors to the area still remain low. Obviously Afghanistan still has security issues in parts of the country, but adventure travelers with the means will have a fantastic time there. I really need to go!

Find out more about the Afghanistan's Secret Peaks Expedition, and follow the team's progress in a few months, on their official website.

Outside Provides Update On Three Cups of Tea Controversy

It has been nearly ten months since 60 Minutes and Jon Krakauer broke the story about Greg Mortenson and alleged mishandling of funds at his Central Asia Institute. The story was that the Three Cups of Tea author embellished sections of his book, which garnered him a large audience of fans, who in turn donated funds to CAI based on those false tales. The non-profit organization used those funds to help build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, although 60 Minutes and Krakauer say that millions of dollars were mishandled or lined the pockets of Mortenson and other execs.

Today, Outside magazine posted a length follow-up article entitled "The Trials of Greg Mortenson" that fills  us in on what has been happening over the past few months. Since the story first hit the headlines, Mortenson has had to deal with a number of health issues, but for the most part, has remained silent about the allegations and the impending trials. CAI has continued to move forward with their efforts, even if their high-profile founder has stepped out of the limelight some. But while the organization tries to make it seem that it is business as usual internally, the Montana Attorney General's office may be preparing to move ahead with a court case against them

As I mentioned, this is a long article, but a good follow-up for everyone who is interested in the story. I think at this point, we're all waiting for the other shoe to drop to see where things go for CAI and Mortenson. Both the man, and the organization he started, have done a lost of good things in Pakistan, and it is a shame that this shadow has fallen over the work. But it also seems clear that he greatly exaggerated his exploits in Himalaya, and a lot of people bought into his story – to the tune of  millions of dollars.

It seems that there will be even bigger news on this case soon, but for now, Outside has done a good job of putting everything in perspective.