Through 2024, I have had these three Daruma dolls on my desk. Just in case any readers are not aware, daruma dolls are a motivational tool to encourage one to work towards defined objectives. To use the Daruma doll, you set the objective, and colour in one eye of the doll. Then, you put it in a prominent place where this slightly sinister one-eyed doll will be looking at you until you achieve the objective. Then, and only then, you colour in the second eye. Traditionally, the dolls were then burnt to signify that the achieved objective is in the past and no longer matters.
In my case, each of the three Daruma dolls represented a specific walking objective: a Swiss walking objective, an international walking objective, and a marathon objective. So let’s look at how things went.
For my Swiss walking objective, I had determined at the beginning of the year that I should walk three routes: the Chemin de Jura, the Via Jura, and the Via Suvorov. The first two were achieved, but in October, I abandoned the Via Suvorov due to deep snow on the route. That means, unfortunately, that the objective was not achieved, which is why one of my Daruma dolls still has only one eye. In mitigation, I will point out that I also went to the tops of both the Schilthorn and the Niesen. And I did two snow walks, one in January and one in December. But nevertheless, the objective remains open, so that Daruma doll will continue to cast its unrelenting gaze on me until I have finished the Via Suvorov.
For the international walking objective, I continued my way on the Via Francigena. In 2023, I documented my walk from Canterbury to Reims in these pages. In 2024, I went back to Reims and walked from there to Lausanne. I calculate the distance walked as 650km, and on that basis, I consider the objective achieved. That Daruma doll has two eyes.
For the marathon objective, I had initially intended to go back to the Dodentocht, which I completed in 2023. But alas, I was unable to get a place on that walk, and so I ended up walking a Megamarsch in Schaffhauen. It was tougher than the Dodentocht. Whereas Belgium is relatively flat, Switzerland is not, and that added 1400m of ascent to the 100km distance. But I did it. And so that Daruma doll also got its second eye.
All in all, it was not a bad year in 2024. As the song says, two out of three ain’t bad. And I did some walks that were not on the agenda.
For 2025, I have rolled everything into one. There will still be three objectives, but I have decided that the year will stand or fall on achieving all three. There will be a marathon objective as before. And I will go back to the Via Francigena to continue the journey towards Rome. I have decided to change the Swiss objective. It is time that I explored the Schwarzwald, or Black Forest. The place where the gateaux come from. I want to walk at least five walks in the Schwarzwald. And I will have to go back to the Via Suvorov. And there will be something else, but I am not sure what yet. And for now, everything is rolled up into one, with one Daruma doll to look down and make me feel guilty if I am not out there on the trails.
Walkingman 