Karl Bushby sets to finish 27-year walk around the world

Karl Bushby, a British national, began his mission in 1998 to walk around the world. Now, he is venturing on the final stretch of that goal after 27 years.

Bushby, at the age of 29, set off from Punta Arenas, Chile, for the very long journey back home to the UK on foot, without using any modes of transport. To date, he has walked approximately 30,000 miles.

Bushby, now 56, is close to England, but one big challenge remains ahead of his journey: he may have to swim across the English Channel from France to get there.

He shared his thoughts with CBS News regarding this upcoming hurdle, saying, “Swimming sucks, dude. It just sucks. I’m not a swimmer. I don’t like it.”

Bushby acknowledged that he is now nearing the end of his journey, which makes him feel “uncomfortable.” He compared this moment to that of anyone who has had a long career and is now facing retirement.

During his interview with CBS’s Ramy Inocencio, Karl Bushby shared frightening details of the experiences he encountered during his 27-year-long journey. In early 2000, he faced the scariest moment of his expedition when he crossed the Darién Gap. This area, which has no roads, is a stretch of rainforest located on the border between Panama and Colombia.

Bushby recalled being “in the middle of a war zone.” He told Inocencio, “There was a whole layer above that that was cartels and drug plantations, and then really, really tough jungle.”

Bushby also traveled across the Bering Strait, located between the Pacific and Arctic oceans, and became the first Brit to do so. While crossing it, Bushby said he was chased by a polar bear.

“You’re in a very serious world that can kill you in 20 minutes if you make a mistake,” he reflected.

In a separate interview, Bushby discussed the difficulties he has faced during his journey over the last 27 years. Speaking on BBC Radio Humberside in June, he said, “We’ve encountered many complications, including visa issues, financial crises, and the pandemic. We’ve experienced it all.”

“It’s been extremely challenging, but we’ve always stood firm and have never been willing to compromise on our route.”

He also had to swim across the Caspian Sea, as he was barred from entering Russia or Iran, making him the first person to ever do so.

The sea covers 143,000 square miles and borders five countries: Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran.