Karl Bushby Ends 28-Year Walk in Hull
The 57-year-old adventurer covered 50,000 km on foot across four continents before reuniting with family in England.
By Nikolai Patterson ·
Karl Bushby, 57, arrived in Hull, England, on Monday to conclude a 28-year trek across four continents. Approximately 500 people gathered in the northeastern city to witness the end of his 50,000 km journey. The walk began in southern South America in 1998.
Bushby adhered to two strict rules during the expedition. He avoided all motorized transport for forward movement. He did not stop until he completed the route. In a final stretch to north Hull, he reunited with his mother, Angela, his 36-year-old son, Adam, and a 12-year-old granddaughter he had never met.
The former paratrooper started the journey in Chile at age 29 following a marriage breakup. His wife had returned to Northern Ireland with their son. The route included a 2006 crossing of the iced-over Bering Strait from Alaska to Russia with French explorer Dimitri Kieffer. Bushby nearly lost his life during that segment. In early October, he swam the English Channel from northern France to Dover over four days to return to Britain.
The trip took more than twice its original 12-year plan due to several interruptions. Russia refused him a visa at one point. He also spent time in jail in Panama for entering without a visa. The COVID-19 pandemic caused further delays, forcing him to live at a base in Mexico. He resumed the trek at the exact spot where each pause began.
German filmmaker Werner Herzog is producing a feature-length documentary about the journey titled "Walk of Life." In a September interview with the AFP news agency from northern France, Bushby discussed the transition back to daily life. "I've got to try and get established in the grown-up world again," he said.
Bushby credited the planet itself for supporting his effort. "I didn't do this alone. There was a big team, the biggest team, Earth. That's what it took to get me back," he told the crowd in Hull.
