Almost Home After 28 Years on Foot
Tuesday, November 3, 2026165 words3 minutes344 reads
After 28 years, British adventurer Karl Bushby is almost home. He began his journey in southern Chile on November 1, 1998, aged 29. His goal was to reach Hull, England, without using vehicles to move forward along his route.
Now 57, Bushby has travelled roughly 50,000 kilometres across four continents. He faced dangerous forests, freezing weather and border problems. In 2006, he crossed moving ice between Alaska and Russia. Later, visa difficulties helped stretch the Russian part of his journey to about ten years.
Bushby did not spend all 28 years walking. He sometimes waited months or years for permission to continue. When he left a country, he returned to where he had stopped. In 2024, he crossed the Caspian Sea by swimming and floating for 31 days.
After swimming across the English Channel in October 2026, he is expected in Hull on November 2. Strangers have helped him, but years away have cost him relationships. He feels excited and uncertain about finally staying home.
