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28 Years, 50,000 KM and No Transport! Man Finally Walks Home to His Mother
British adventurer Karl Bushby has returned home after a 28-year journey covering around 50,000 km across four continents without using motorised transport to advance his route.
28 Years, 50,000 KM and No Transport! Man Finally Walks Home to His Mother
After spending 28 years travelling across the world, British adventurer Karl Bushby has finally returned home to Hull, England. His extraordinary journey covered around 50,000 km across four continents, without using motorised transport to move forward.
The 57-year-old former British paratrooper completed his journey on 2 November 2026, reaching his mother's house after travelling through jungles, mountains, frozen seas and several countries.
How did the journey begin?
Karl Bushby was born in Hull, England. The idea for his extraordinary journey came after his father gave him a birthday card in the 1990s. The card referred to a conversation about whether it was possible to walk from England to America by crossing the Bering Strait, the stretch of water between Russia and Alaska.
This inspired Karl to attempt something even bigger. He decided to start from the southern tip of South America and travel all the way back to his home in England. He named the journey the Goliath Expedition.
On 1 November 1998, at the age of 29, Karl began his journey from Punta Arenas, a city in southern Chile. He expected the expedition to take around 12 years, but it eventually lasted 28 years.
He set two strict rules for himself:
- He would not use cars, buses, trains or planes to move forward.
- He would not return home until he had completed the entire journey on foot.
Across continents, forests and frozen seas
Karl travelled north through South America before entering Central America and continuing towards North America.
One of the most difficult parts of his journey was crossing the Darién Gap, a large area of dense forest and difficult terrain between Colombia and Panama. The region has no regular road connection and is known for its challenging conditions. After crossing Central America, he continued through Mexico and the United States before reaching Alaska.
In March 2006, he crossed the frozen Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia on foot, travelling over shifting sea ice. He faced freezing temperatures, moving ice and the danger of falling into the water. After entering Russia, he continued through countries including Mongolia and China before travelling towards Central Asia and Europe.
His journey covered around 50,000 km across four continents and approximately 30 countries, although published country counts differ.
Swimming across large water bodies
Karl's rule against using motorised transport also created challenges whenever he reached large bodies of water. Instead of using boats or other vehicles to advance his route, he found ways to swim across them.
Caspian Sea – 2024
In 2024, Karl swam across the Caspian Sea to continue his journey towards Europe. The crossing took more than a month and involved over 132 hours in the water.
English Channel – October 2026
The English Channel was another major obstacle. Karl had earlier been unable to get permission to travel through the Channel Tunnel.
He eventually swam across the English Channel from France and reached Shakespeare Beach near Dover on 5 October 2026. The crossing took around 20 hours spread over three days. From Dover, he still had approximately 400 km to walk to reach his home in Hull.
Why did the journey take 28 years?
Karl had originally expected to complete the expedition in around 12 years. However, several problems delayed his progress. He faced dangerous weather, injuries, financial difficulties and problems getting permission to enter certain countries. His journey through Russia was particularly difficult because of visa restrictions and other border-related problems. At different points, he was also detained and faced dangerous situations during his travels.
The global financial crisis affected his sponsorship and funding. Later, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine created further delays. Despite these challenges, he continued following the two rules he had set for himself.
An emotional homecoming after 28 years
After reaching British land near Dover in October 2026, Karl continued walking north towards Hull. On 2 November 2026, he finally arrived in his hometown. Hundreds of people gathered at Queen Victoria Square to welcome him, including local residents and officials.
After the welcome, he completed the final few kilometres to his mother's house. The most emotional moment came when he reunited with his mother, Angela, outside her home. They hugged after years apart. He also reunited with his son, Adam, and met his 12-year-old granddaughter for the first time.
Karl had left England as a 29-year-old man. His son was a child when the expedition began. During the 28 years, Adam grew up, got married and had a daughter, whom Karl had not met until his return. After spending nearly half his life travelling towards home, Karl's extraordinary journey had finally come to an end.
His story is a remarkable example of determination and endurance. But it also shows the personal sacrifices that can come with pursuing a goal for so many years.