An intrepid explorer from Hull who embarked on an unprecedented round-the-world walk nearly three decades ago is finally on his way home. Karl Bushby, a 56-year-old former paratrooper, set off in October 1998 aiming to be the first person to complete a continuous, unbroken walk across the globe.
The Goliath Expedition: A Journey of Extreme Survival
What began as a wild bet in a bar has evolved into a 28-year odyssey spanning an estimated 36,000 miles. Bushby, who initially believed the challenge would take 12 years, has endured a catalogue of life-threatening dangers. His aptly named Goliath Expedition has seen him robbed, detained, deported, bitten, starved, and nearly drowned.
He spent 57 days in a Russian prison and navigated a jungle swarming with crocodiles and anacondas. Bushby has also swum across the Caspian Sea and walked the lengths of the American and Asian continents, pushing and pulling a custom-built trolley dubbed 'Beast One'.
Confronting the World's Most Dangerous Routes
In a recent YouTube update, Bushby highlighted two of the most terrifying segments of his journey. The first was crossing the infamous Darién Gap, the lawless 60-mile passage between Panama and Colombia.
"I found myself in the middle of a war zone," Bushby told CBS News. "And then there's a whole layer above that of cartels and drug plantations, and then really, really tough jungle." The region is notorious for human trafficking, extortion, and violent crime, compounded by venomous snakes, crocodiles, and brutal terrain.
The second was his traverse of the Bering Strait, where he had a chilling encounter with a polar bear. "You're in a very serious world that will kill you in 20 minutes if you mess up," he recounted.
The Emotional Return to Hull
Now, Bushby has announced a major update: he is heading back to his hometown of Kingston upon Hull, expecting to arrive by September 2026. The decision has prompted questions from followers, to which he has a heartfelt response.
"Hull certainly seems like a very different place to the one I left," he said. "But A, it's my home town; B, it's where I left from." He vividly remembers leaving his mother's house in October 1998, a moment filmed by the BBC, and is determined to capture his return down that same street.
"Most of [the family] who were there wishing me goodbye are dead now," he reflected. "Obviously, you have got to get that video of you coming back down that street, right? And back to my mother's house from where it all began."
Karl Bushby's imminent return marks the nearing end of one of history's most remarkable feats of human endurance and determination, a bet that turned into a three-decade-long testament to the spirit of adventure.
