Karl Bushby Nears Home After 27 Years, 25 Countries and 49,900 km of Walking on Foot Around the World

By Staff Reporter

Karl Bushby’s story reads like myth — except every step of it is true. What began as a casual bar bet in the late 1990s has turned into one of the greatest feats of endurance in human history: a 27-year, self-imposed mission to walk continuously from the bottom of South America to his home in Hull, England.

Today, Bushby — a 56-year-old former British paratrooper — is closer than ever to putting the final chapter of his epic odyssey behind him. After decades of jungles, deserts, frozen seas, arrests, political barriers and thousands of miles on foot, he is now walking through Europe, determined to complete the journey that has defined half of his life.

🌍 The World’s Longest Walk: The Goliath Expedition

Bushby began his unprecedented trek in 1998 in Punta Arenas, Chile, launching the now-famous Goliath Expedition.

His mission was simple — but nearly impossible:

To walk an unbroken path from the southern tip of South America to the northern tip of Europe, without using any motorised transport.

“The plan was to do something pretty extraordinary.”

For 27 years, he has honored that vow. Every mile has been walked.
Every checkpoint reached on foot.
Every continent crossed without wheels, engines, or shortcuts — except for unavoidable water passages.

Bushby has now covered more than 18,000 miles (nearly 30,000 km) across four continents, often alone, often under life-threatening conditions, and always committed to finishing the bet he made decades ago.

🔥 Through the World’s Harshest Terrain

The Darién Gap — Hell on Earth

One of Bushby’s earliest and most dangerous challenges was crossing the Darién Gap, the dense, lawless jungle between Colombia and Panama.

This region, notorious for drug traffickers, paramilitary groups, venomous wildlife, and pathless swamps, stops most expeditions cold.

Bushby pushed through — surviving conditions that have claimed countless lives.

“Ninety-nine percent of the people I’ve met have been the very best in humanity — but the Darién was a different world.”

❄️ The Bering Strait — A Frozen Gamble That Changed Everything

In 2006, Bushby attempted one of the most daring feats ever tried on foot:
crossing the Bering Strait from Alaska to Siberia on shifting sea ice.

He succeeded — but the triumph came with a price.

Russian authorities declared his entry illegal.
He was detained for 57 days and handed a two-year travel ban, halting his journey for years.

It was the greatest political obstacle of the entire expedition.

⛺ Survival, Detention & Decades on the Move

Throughout his 27-year walk, Bushby has had to navigate:

• Two stints in Russian custody, including a 57-day prison stay
• Harsh deserts in the Americas and Central Asia
• Visa rejections, border closures, and geopolitical tensions
• Arctic cold, monsoon floods, wild animals, and injury
• Years of financial uncertainty, relying on sponsors and media appearances
• Carrying his life on a custom-built cart, pulled mile after mile

Yet he has never once broken his rule:
No transport. No shortcuts. No cheating the journey.

“I can’t use transport to advance, and I can’t go home until I arrive on foot.”

🗺️ Where He Is Now — And What Comes Next

After decades of walking, Bushby is now deep into Europe, with the finish line finally in sight. Reports indicate he is:

📍 Currently:

In Turkey or preparing for his final crossing back into mainland Europe, continuing toward the UK.

📍 Remaining Distance:

Just a few thousand miles before he steps into Hull — the first human to have walked continuously around the world.

If all goes well, Bushby could complete the Goliath Expedition in 2026, ending the journey that began as a bar bet and became a legend.

Pull Quotes

“For 27 years, my purpose has been getting up and moving forward — and that’s going to stop abruptly.”

“The world is far kinder than we think.”

“I set out to do something extraordinary — and I’m not stopping until I walk home.”

🏁 The End Is Within Reach

As Karl Bushby takes his final steps toward England, his story stands as one of the most remarkable examples of human endurance, stubbornness, and faith in humanity ever documented.

His journey has spanned jungles, oceans, ice, war zones, political conflicts, and entire decades.

And soon — for the first time since 1998 — Karl Bushby will walk home.