Karl Bushby was 29 years old when he set off from Punta Arenas.
It was November 1998 and this former British paratrooper had made himself a promise: to return home to Hull, England, walking all the way. No transport to help him along, and not setting foot in his home until he arrived on foot. He estimated it would take him about 12 years, but it ended up taking 28.
Along the way, he crossed 25 countries and covered nearly 50,000 kilometers through Patagonia, the Atacama Desert, jungles, mountains, Central Asia, and areas near the Arctic.
Russia and Central Asia were the biggest obstacle and the main reason for the delay. There were also years of interruptions, permit difficulties, and stretches he had to retrace.
To reach Europe, he swam across the Caspian Sea. And on October 5, 2026, he got back in the water: he swam across the English Channel and set foot on British soil at Shakespeare Beach, near Dover.
He hasn’t finished yet: he has about 400 kilometers left to Hull, to his mother’s house, where she’s waiting for him at the same place he left almost three decades ago.
Today, he’s 57. When he started, smartphones didn’t exist. There were only paper maps.
He lost friends along the way, his son remained at home, and he watched the world evolve; he says that made him realize that life is short and he should live it as fully as possible.
