"...the problem that was endless, which I broke into little pieces; the problem that gave me hints with each fall..." This true story reveals how Ashima Shiraishi, a young, champion rock climber, calls each boulder a problem. Breaking the problem down into pieces, she proceeds to solve one piece at a time. And the only way to learn how to get to the top is to fall, dust yourself off, and try again ...

Pieces of the seasonsappear and disappearin a patchwork patternmaking up a year.