Climb: Leaving Safe and Finding Strength on 100 Summits in Japan

by Susan Spann

Overview

The inspiring memoir of a middle-aged woman who challenged herself to climb one hundred Japanese mountains in a single year, even after an aggressive cancer threatened to derail her dream. After more than forty years of living "safe and scared," California attorney and mystery author Susan Spann decided to break free by climbing one hundred of Japan's most famous mountains, inspired by a classic list of hyakumeizan peaks. But when an unexpected cancer diagnosis forced her to confront her deepest fears, the mountains of Japan became the setting for an even more transformative journey from pain and fear to a new life fueled by hope, confidence, and strength. This immersive, inspiring, and witty page-turner captures the terrifying lows and breathtaking highs of a woman's journey from timidity to confidence, cancer to healing, and regret to joy, as she breaks the mental and physical chains that once prevented her from living out her dreams. Susan chronicles her journey with an insightful, often humorous eye for not only her travels across Japan, but the culture, food, nature, and obstacles she encountered along the way, and complements her honest and vivid prose with breathtaking personal photographs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633885929
Publisher:	Prometheus Books
Publication date:	08/03/2020
Pages:	360
Sales rank:	1,095,471
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Susan Spann is a former attorney and the author of the Hiro Hattori mystery novels. She has a degree in Asian Studies from Tufts University and a lifelong love of Japanese history and culture. A California native, she is currently living in Tokyo and planning her next adventure.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction: Hyakumeizan xiii

1 Victory-and Misery-on Misen: June 2015 1

2 One Hundred and One: November 2017 7

3 Cherry Blossoms and Liver Spots: March-May 2018 13

4 You Are Not Prepared: May 20, 2018 21

5 Don't Forget the Bug Spray: May 27, 2018 29

6 Hope for the Best, GORE-TEX for the Worst: May 31 to June 1, 2018 35

7 Fear Is a Liar: June 2, 2018 41

8 Horses' Bells and Dragons' Eyes: June 3-4, 2018 47

9 No Raisins on the Summit: June 5, 2018 53

10 Cuckoos and Chains: June 13-14, 2018 57

11 The Mountain Wants to Be Climbed: June 15, 2018 63

12 At Least the Frog Was Happy: June 20, 2018 69

13 Walking on the Road: June 21, 2018 75

14 Too Many Bees: June 22, 2018 81

15 Magic in the Mundane: June 23-24, 2018 85

16 Daisen's Giant Chipmunk: June 30-July 1, 2018 91

17 All Roads Lead to Kyoto: July 2-3, 2018 97

18 Goddess of All That Flows: July 3, 2018 103

19 Even Ants Like Kakigori: July 13, 2018 109

20 On Mount Inari: July 16, 2018 113

21 Mount Fuji: July 19, 2018 117

22 Suramit Dawn: July 20, 2018 123

23 Tidal Shift: August 7, 2018 127

24 To Play with Crows: August 14, 2018 131

25 Hokkaido Nature Tours: September 6-9, 2018 137

26 Peeping Tom: September 10, 2018 141

27 Tokachidake: September 11, 2018 147

28 Takuto and Tomuraushi: September 13-14, 2018 153

29 Lake Akan and Meakan: Septemberl5, 2018 159

30 Water over Rock: September 16-17, 2018 163

31 RausuRainbow: September 18-19, 2018 169

32 From Snow to Snow: September 20-21, 2018 173

33 I Love Rishiri: September 23-24, 2018 177

34 Return to Mount Koya: September 28, 2018 181

35 Chicken and Towels: October 7, 2018 187

36 Stone Hammer Mountain: October 8, 2018 191

37 Annamaria: October 22, 2018 195

38 Flying Free: October 23-24, 2018 199

39 Injury: November 12, 2018 203

40 Corinne: November 15, 2018 209

41 Life and Death on the Kumano Kodo: November 24-27, 2018 213

42 Rebirth: November 28-30, 2018 219

43 Over Byobu: December 19, 2018 225

44 Alive and Free: December 20, 2018 229

45 Happy New Year, Fujisan: December 31, 2018 233

46 That's Not the Summit: January 10, 2019 239

47 Tops and Tofa: January 14, 2019 243

48 These Mountains Won't Climb Themselves: January 15, 2019 247

49 Experienced Hikers Only: January 20, 2019 251

50 Benched: January 21, 2019 255

51 The Kindness of Strangers: January 28, 2019 259

52 Seven Lucky Gods: January 30, 3019 265

53 Peeping Fuji: February 10, 2019 271

54 Yamanaka-ko: February 12-13, 2019 275

55 Where There Is No Trail: February 14, 2019 281

56 Cock-a-Doodle Delicious: February 22-23, 2019 285

57 Short-Sleeved Samurai: February 24, 2019 289

58 Into the Woods: March 10, 2019 295

59 Farewell to Snow: March 16, 2019 299

60 The Longest Ropeway in Japan: March 22-23, 2019 303

61 Of Gourds and Waterfalls: March 24, 2019 309

62 Learning to Run: March 30, 2019 313

63 Chichibu Five: April 6, 2019 319

64 100 Summits … Plus One More: April 12-14, 2019 325

Appendix: The 100 Summits 329

Editorial Reviews

As a climber, people assume I’m drawn to adventure tales: the gritty, bloody, hang-it-off-the-edge type pursuits. However, what has become more interesting to me is the story of what I call a ‘No Barriers Life’ –that is, a life highlighted by a mindset of embracing and harnessing challenges to drive forward. Climb is a fabulous exemplar. Spann’s journey is a tremendous reach into uncertainty amidst a cancer diagnosis, and ultimately her summits become a reward far more than the tops of the mountains she attains.” –Erik Weihenmayer, mountaineer, best-selling author, and founder of No Barriers

From the Publisher