Book excerpt: On the 23rd of May 2019, Hakan Bulgurlu became one of the fortunate few to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. To stand on top of the world's highest mountain is a humbling experience, to bear witness to nature at its most awe-inspiring and powerful is even more humbling. Bulgurlu's quest to climb Everest came with a purpose: making the environment the centre of his ambition to highlight the catastrophic effect climate change is having on our planet, to lead by example and to seek out practical solutions. He wanted to use the expedition as a wake-up call to what we are doing to the natural world. In his powerful new book, Bulgurlu tells the fascinating story of this adventure of a lifetime, harrowing and exhilarating in equal measure. He delves into the roots of the environmental crisis we find ourselves in, speaking to climate activists and campaigners, biologists, scientists, filmmakers, academics, economists, entrepreneurs, global leaders and innovators. They help shed light on the issues that we face and the solutions that will help secure a better future for generations to come. In this gripping account of his journey, Bulgurlu describes the challenges he faced in reaching the summit, and the challenges we all face in protecting the planet and the future of humanity.