Karl Bushby, a former paratrooper from Hull, has spent 27 years walking around the world and is nearing the end of his epic journey. He has revealed the two most terrifying locations he encountered during his 36,000-mile Goliath Expedition, which began in Chile in November 1998.
The first was the Darién Gap, a 60-mile stretch of jungle between Panama and Colombia. Bushby described finding himself in the 'middle of a war zone', with cartels, drug plantations, and tough jungle conditions. The area is notorious for its perilous migration routes, extreme heat, heavy rain, venomous snakes, and criminal activity including human trafficking and sexual assault.
The second frightening experience occurred while crossing the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia. Bushby encountered a polar bear and noted that the environment could kill you in 20 minutes if you made a mistake. He completed the crossing with US companion Dimitri Kieffer, navigating ice flows and swimming through open water, only to be arrested by Russian authorities for illegal entry and deported.
As of November 6, Bushby was approaching Budapest on his way back to Hull. He admitted that ending the expedition is a 'positively scary' prospect and that returning to normal society will be difficult. He plans to throw himself into another mission to have a new goal.
Despite the dangers, Bushby offered a positive perspective on humanity, stating that '99.99% of the world is good' and that the world is not as frightening as people might think, even in unexpected regions.
