So many people have mentioned how much they enjoyed seeing photos of the #100Summits climbs, and the photo insert of CLIMB, that I decided to create this photo-companion to accompany the book.
Each of the links below corresponds to the relevant chapter of CLIMB, and contains a selection of photographs that illustrate the events in the chapter, along with captions describing the photographs themselves.
I hope you’ll click through and enjoy them, whether or not you’ve read the book (the captions tell enough of the story that you won’t be lost)!
For first-time visitors, here’s a brief explanation of CLIMB:
Dare to dream, and you can change your world.
After more than forty years of living “safe and scared,” California attorney and mystery author Susan Spann decided to face her fears and climb one hundred of Japan’s most famous mountains, inspired by a classic list of hyakumeizan peaks. But after 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.
You can buy the book (in hardback and ebook formats, and either in person or online) at your favorite local bookstore or at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
And now, with no further ado, on to the photographs and special features:
Chapter 1: Victory–and Misery–on Misen
Chapter 2: One Hundred And One
Chapter 3: Cherry Blossoms and Liver Spots
Chapter 4: You Are Not Prepared
Chapter 5: Don’t Forget the Bug Spray
Chapter 6: Hope for the Best, GORE-TEX for the Worst
Chapter 7: Fear Is a Liar
Chapter 8: Horses’ Bells and Dragons’ Eyes
Chapter 9: No Raisins on the Summit
Chapter 10: Cuckoos and Chains
Chapter 11: The Mountain Wants to Be Climbed
Chapter 12: At Least the Frog Was Happy
Chapter 13: Walking on the Road
Chapter 14: Too Many Bees
Chapter 15: Magic in the Mundane
Chapter 16: Daisen’s Giant Chipmunk
Chapter 17: All Roads Lead to Kyoto
Chapter 18: Goddess of All that Flows
Chapter 19: Even Ants Like Kakigori
Chapter 20: On Mount Inari
Chapter 21: Mount Fuji
Chapter 22: Summit Dawn
Chapter 23: Tidal Shift
Chapter 24: To Play With Crows
Chapter 25: Hokkaido Nature Tours
Chapter 26: Peeping Tom
Chapter 27: Tokachidake
Chapter 28: Takuto and Tomuraushi
Chapter 29: Lake Akan and Meakan
Chapter 30: Water Over Rock
Chapter 31: Rausu Rainbow
Chapter 32: From Snow to Snow
Chapter 33: I Love Rishiri
Chapter 34: Return to Mount Kōya
Chapter 35: Chicken and Towels
Chapter 36: Stone Hammer Mountain
(This page is a work in progress, so check back regularly for more chapters – I hope to have all of them posted soon!)
ERRATA
Despite many reads, several sets of eyes, and the best intentions, sometimes mistakes get through. With apologies to readers (and Amazake Chaya), the following corrects a couple of typographical errors or inaccuracies in the finished first edition of CLIMB:
Chapter 4: Mt. Akagi sits near the city of Maebashi (as correctly identified at the start of the chapter), not Maebara (which is a city in Chiba Prefecture).
Chapter 43: Amazake Chaya was founded in the 16th century. The teahouse is currently owned by the 13th generation of innkeepers, and has been in continuous operation for over 400 years.