Former paratrooper Karl Bushby, who has spent nearly 30 years walking home to Hull from South America, faces a new obstacle: French authorities have banned him from swimming the English Channel because they only permit crossings from the UK to France. The 57-year-old adventurer, who travels without cars, trains, buses or planes, said: 'We are talking with the French coastguard.'
Journey from Chile to Belgium
Bushby set off from Punta Arenas, Chile, in 1998 on a 36,000-mile journey he initially thought would take 12 years. He has now reached Belgium, nearing the final stages of his return to his hometown. However, crossing the Channel has proven a challenge multiple times. In June, Eurotunnel bosses refused his request to walk through the service tunnel, leaving him with no option but to swim, in line with his challenge rules that forbid any form of transport.
Bushby still hopes authorities might allow him to use the Eurotunnel. In the meantime, he is seeking a way to swim the 21-mile distance in just a few months. 'We have secured a support boat for October,' he said. 'That's a big thing. I would expect it to take two to three days to swim across to the UK.'
Current location and plans
Karl is currently in Mexico, where he takes breaks between stages to meet visa regulations and plan routes. He occasionally visits the US, where his sponsors are based. 'I will be back in Belgium in early September,' he said. 'Towards the end of that month, I expect to be in France, preparing for the swim. I am not angry it has come to this. I am more disappointed. But things could still change. Walking through the service tunnel is still the preferred option.'
Previous water crossings
Karl is no stranger to traversing vast bodies of water. In 2006, he became the first Brit to walk across the Bering Strait, a 58-mile stretch of frozen sea linking North America and Russia. Then, in 2024, he swam more than 170 miles over 31 days across the Caspian Sea from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan to avoid conflict zones in Russia and Iran. Despite this, Karl isn't a fan of swimming. 'I'm just not into the swim thing,' he said previously. 'I've had to do a couple of swims here and there. [The English Channel] is a different stretch of water; it's colder, we'll see. Hopefully, I'll never have to think about it.'
Setbacks along the way
Karl began the challenge after sketching a rough path on a map while in the army. Fellow soldiers told him it could not be done, which made him more determined. He set two rules: never use transport, and not return to the UK until the journey is complete. Over three decades, he has faced numerous setbacks: evading bandits in the Darien Gap, being detained by Russian officials for illegal entry, spending 18 days in a Panama prison for entering without a visa, and overstaying his US visa, forcing a flight back to Colombia. In 2003, his trailer was stolen on New Year's Day, a day before he was due to cross into Canada, delaying him another month.
Despite these challenges, he reached Armenia last June, then traveled through Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria, and Slovakia. After stopping in Mexico to sort his Schengen visa, he traversed Europe and is now hoping to find a way to cross his final sea. Once back on UK shores, Karl will walk to Hull, ending at his childhood home.
The French Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre referenced a 2018 'prefectural order' confirming the restriction on Karl's swim. It said it has referred Karl's support team to the Channel and North Sea Maritime Prefecture.
