31.10.2026 19:10
Former paratrooper Karl Bushby, who set out from Punta Arenas, Chile, in 1998, has entered the final kilometers of his goal to walk to his hometown of Hull without using any means of transport and without returning to England. The 57-year-old Bushby, who crossed the Darién Gap, crossed the frozen Bering Strait, and swam across the English Channel, will be welcomed by his son, his 12-year-old grandson whom he has never met, his father, and his siblings.
With very little left before he completes his journey, Karl Bushby recounts the adventures that took him across four continents, the strain on his relationships along the way, and how the life he is used to is about to change radically.
A former paratrooper, Bushby set out from Punta Arenas, Chile, in 1998, when he was 29. His goal was to reach his hometown of Hull on an unbroken route on foot while sticking to two rules he set for himself: not to return to the UK until he completed his journey, and not to use any means of transport to make progress.
Now 57, Bushby is beginning the final few kilometers of his journey, having crossed the dense jungles of the Darien Gap, passed through the frozen Bering Strait, and swum across the English Channel just a few weeks ago.
At the end of the journey, he will be met by his 36-year-old son Adam, his 12-year-old grandchild whom he has never met, his father, and his brothers. His mother will be waiting for him in the childhood home he left 28 years ago. When I join him in the Lincolnshire countryside in England, he says, “We are definitely in uncharted waters, or we will be very soon,” and adds: “Right now I’m comfortable because I’m doing what I’m used to. But very soon this journey will come to an abrupt stop.”
Just like “The Beast,” the wheelbarrow Bushby uses for heavy loads.
Only a few kilometers into this stage, the tire on the wheelbarrow Bushby uses to carry his basic necessities goes flat.
“We haven’t had that happen in a long time. It can be annoying. Damn it,” he says.
As I watch him hurriedly try to repair it by the roadside, a smile appears on his face, and then he adds: “If it were raining, I’d probably be grumbling a bit more.”
“It started raining in the first few days I was in Dover. But weather-wise, we managed to move at just the right time. We caught those three perfect days [for swimming].”
Vehicles roar past us.
Bushby says half-jokingly: “You know traffic flows on the wrong side here, don’t you?”
His use of “you” is a sign of the disconnect between him and his homeland. Bushby is highly experienced at overcoming physical obstacles like a flat tire.
WHEN THE JOURNEY ENDS, HIS LIFE WILL CHANGE RADICALLY
But is he ready for what awaits him next?
“My entire self and everything I know about myself will disappear. And that will be a problem. He will experience the classic identity crisis because Karl is this person [an adventurer] and has been for half his life.”
I will have to rediscover who I am. What is the meaning of all this? How will I find that meaning and purpose? How will I fill the void I will suddenly find myself in?
“Every bit of my existence, every day, has been what I am doing right now. This was my life’s purpose.”
I think an old saying goes: The only thing worse than a man who cannot realize his dreams is a man who has realized his dreams. Because what happens then?
American long-distance walker Angela Maxwell accompanied Bushby on this leg after he swam across the English Channel and came ashore at Dover.
“I think Karl may be surprised by how much he misses being on the road. Sometimes we joke among ourselves that Karl doesn’t like walking. But he loves his mission. He loves that passion, that purpose,” she says. Bushby says he is surprised by the attention his return to the UK has received. “
It has been almost overwhelming. The number of people who recognize me along the way is incredible. It’s a lovely feeling. When people get really, really excited, it sometimes feels a bit strange, and I just can’t understand why. From my perspective, it looks a bit odd.
“I’m just a guy who walks.”
A car pulls into a lay-by, and the driver asks whether he is Karl Bushby. Then they take a selfie together.
Bushby has consistently rejected suggestions that this is a spiritual journey or a quest for self-discovery.
So does he think the reason his story has attracted worldwide interest is that desire to travel and explore that exists in most of us but that very few people pursue?
“I think that’s it,” he says.
“I have lived what millions of people dream of. Many people would like to leave home and just keep walking without ever going back.”
Bushby says the “opportunity to walk” arose after his marriage ended and his wife returned to Northern Ireland with their sons. Life on the road does not look as flawless as it does at first glance. “I deal with everyday matters. Flat tires, trying to find a place where you can wash your underwear. That’s my life. These are ordinary things: walking in the rain, endless kilometers.”
It is not as glamorous as it looks.”
ONLY 15 OF THE 28 YEARS WERE SPENT WALKING
Bushby says he spent only about 15 of the past 28 years walking. Between different stages of the journey, he often retreated to Mexico, where the cost of living is low.
He says the rest of the time was spent applying for visas and “dealing with geopolitics.”
Travel restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic also caused delays.
HE DIDN’T EVEN RETURN TO SEE HIS FAMILY
Under the rules he set for his journey, Bushby could not return to the UK to see his family.
Although rarely, he met up with his son and his divorced parents in other countries.
“Family is family, right?” says Bushby.
“They will always be in your life. But there is wear and tear. Distance comes between you. It even reaches a point where, to some extent, you drift apart from each other. You no longer really know each other.”
As for his love life, be prepared. You will take a hard blow. Things will not go well for you. ” Shortly after arriving in Dover, he ate fish, chips and mushy peas for the first time in about thirty years.
He says this dish is not made anywhere else in the world the way the British make it.
But looking beyond superficial things, he doesn’t seem to have missed the UK much.
“The whole world was before me, so there were many bright things that caught my attention.”
Bushby thinks he has not aged in the usual sense.
“I am older, but I don’t feel that old. Mentally, I still feel far too young for my age. I still identify with that man who was walking across the Americas years ago.”
His eyes shining, he adds: “I still have that sense of adventure.”
His journey has also allowed him to meet a large number of people.
“I personally encountered the best aspects of humanity, and it was extremely heartening. This experience reinforced my faith and trust in humanity. The kindness shown by strangers made this entire journey possible.
I couldn't have done this without the world. "
Bushby says that before sponsorship deals and a book contract, he was a "penniless backpacker" who survived on handouts and even food thrown by the roadside. He offers advice to those considering a similar adventure.
"Take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. You can actually do much more than you imagine. A little self-confidence will take you a very long way. By doing nothing, you will achieve nothing.
"So what advice would he give today to young Karl Bushby, who is about to set off for Chile?"
He wouldn't want to hear it. You don't tell him anything. You just smile and let him go on his way. "
We used artificial intelligence in the translation of this article, the original of which is in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication.
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