After 28 years and 31,000 miles, British walker finishes trek at childhood home

Karl Bushby ended his 31,000 mile trek on Monday by arriving at the house where he grew up in Hull, England. The 57 year old adventurer began his journey in 1998 and finished it on foot, concluding a path that took him through jungles in Central America and across the ice between Alaska and Russia. His final stretch involved swimming across the English Channel before he reached his home city.

Bushby started his walk after his marriage ended and he was inspired by his father, who wondered if one could walk from London to New York. He served in the British Army's Parachute Regiment in his twenties before setting out with a tent, a few hundred dollars, and a cheap plastic camera. He originally planned to be on the road for about 10 years, but obstacles extended the trip to nearly three decades.

The route took him from Chile north through the Americas, then across the Bering Strait into Russia. He continued through Mongolia and China before returning to Europe after swimming the Caspian Sea. Bushby told Reuters last year that the monotony of walking through deserts or the Arctic for days or weeks could be mind bending, as the landscape rarely changed.

He did not walk for the entire duration of the trip. Bushby told the BBC that he only spent about 15 of the 28 years actively walking. He returned to Mexico periodically to handle visas, logistics, and sponsorship deals. The journey also included a brief imprisonment in Panama, being held at gunpoint in Mexico, and detention by Russian authorities for crossing the border illegally.

Bushby noted that the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID pandemic caused delays. He described the experience as a 21st century odyssey, noting in a statement to the Telegraph that half the time was spent dealing with bureaucratic geopolitical problems rather than just environmental hurdles. He added that sometimes the solution was simply to wait.

Hundreds of supporters gathered in a square in Hull on Monday morning to greet him. Bushby told the crowd, "After 28 years, you just couldn't ask for more than this." He pushed his few possessions in a trolley, with a spare tire on top that he said would now never be needed. He added, "I guess I'll be seeing you around," before heading to his family home, where his mother, his 36 year old son, and a 12 year old granddaughter were waiting.

A feature length documentary about the journey is currently in production. Bushby is also planning a speaking tour around England in the coming weeks.