Climb
Leaving Safe and Finding Strength
on 100 Summits in Japan
Susan Spann
An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
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Copyright © 2020 by Susan Spann
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Name: Spann, Susan, author.
Title: Climb : leaving safe and finding strength on 100 summits in Japan / Susan Spann.
Description: Guilford, Connecticut : Prometheus, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: “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”—Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019054679 (print) | LCCN 2019054680 (ebook) | ISBN 9781633885929 (cloth) | ISBN 9781633885936 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Spann, Susan. | Mountaineering—Japan. | Mountaineering—Psychological aspects. | Cancer—Patients—Biography. | Japan—Description and travel.
Classification: LCC GV199.44.J3 S73 2020 (print) | LCC GV199.44.J3 (ebook) | DDC 915.2—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019054679
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019054680
This book is for everyone with a dream
May you find the strength you need to make it real
日々旅にして旅を栖とす
[Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home]
—Matsuo Basho
Acknowledgments
I may have hiked most of these mountains solo, but I could not have written this book alone. It would be impossible for me to thank everyone involved in making Climb a reality—the list would run longer than the book itself. However, there are a few individuals who require special mention. In roughly chronological order:
Thank you to Dr. Daniel Herron for finding my cancer early enough that I had a chance for a real cure, not just remission; to Dr. Joelle Jakobsen for scheduling my surgery on a moment’s notice and performing it so skillfully; and to Dr. Gurvinder Shaheed for believing in my ability to tolerate dose-dense chemotherapy and for guiding me through it with skill and compassion. I am alive today because of each of you.
Thank you to Marie, my nurse navigator, for walking me through the process and for holding my hand (literally and figuratively) when I needed support. Thanks to my nurses Jaime and Vickie, for the infusions of love and laughter (along with chemotherapy) and for cheering me on even after my treatments ended. Thank you to Ashley, the biopsy nurse at Mercy San Juan, to JJ, the recovery nurse—and to all nurses, everywhere, who care for those of us facing this horrific disease. You are my heroes, and I do not say that lightly.
On the publishing side, thank you to my fabulous literary agent, Sandra Bond, for believing in this project, finding it a publishing home, and all the million other things—large and small—that you do on my behalf. I am so grateful to have you in my life, and to have you as a friend as well as a business partner.
Thank you to Jill Maxick, for loving this book immediately, and to Jon Kurtz, for seeing the promise in the story of a middle-aged woman breaking free from fear to live her dreams. And thanks to my editor, Jake Bonar, for helping me cram a year-long journey (and 56,000 photographs) into 100,000 words and 14 images.
Thank you to Ido Gabay, Takuto, the Yamabushi (D), and Hokkaido Nature Tours, not only for introducing me to your spectacular island and guiding me up its peaks, but also for teaching me to reach beyond my perceived boundaries and discover capabilities I didn’t realize I had. You are indeed “Hokkaido Strong,” and my time with you created memories I will cherish—and skills I will use—for a lifetime.
Thank you to Nishiguchi Sensei, for your patience and careful instruction in traditional Japanese calligraphy. Shodō lies at the heart of Japanese culture and tradition, and I am honored to have the opportunity to learn this ancient art from you.
Thank you to Kaitlyn and Laurie Bolland, Paula Ross-Jones (a.k.a. Mom), Spencer Jones, Claire Youmans, Annamaria Alfieri, Corinne O’Flynn, and Laura VanArendonk Baugh, not only for your love and support, but for putting your money—and your feet—where your mouths are and flying halfway around the world to climb with me. I love you all very, very much.
Thank you to Ron and Joan, David and Yoko, Ron and Linda, Karen, and everyone else I met and hiked with in Kyoto, on the Kumano Kodo, and elsewhere on my 100 Summits journey.
Thank you to my friends and Tokyo officemates: Greg, Ellen, and Kira. I am fortunate indeed to have the opportunity to work, and laugh, with each of you.
Thank you to Kerry Schaffer (a.k.a. Kerry Ann King), Heather Webb, Rae James (R. F. James), Kathy Owen, Jenny Hansen, Wing Ng (and Peter Ultsch), and all the many, many fellow authors and friends I do not have room to list by name. I love you, and miss you, and hope to see you soon.
Thank you to my family: Marcie, Gene, Robert, Lola, Anna, Matteo, and Spencer III; it is not easy to see someone you love move halfway around the world, and I treasure the fact that you supported me and my journey.
Thank you to my son, Christopher, for so many things and reasons that I could not possibly list them all—from acting as my translator in those early days to so many wonderful conversations over coffee and choco-cro at the St. Marc.
Thank you to my husband, Michael. Your love, and your belief in me and in this journey, carried me through the times when I could not see the trail on my own.
* * *
And finally, thank you, reader, for joining me on the journey through these pages. I hope this book inspires you to find the strength to face your challenges and the courage to pursue your dreams.