British adventurer Karl Bushby returns home after 28‑year global trek
After a near‑50,000‑kilometre walk that stretched to 28 years, Karl Bushby stepped back into his Hull childhood home.
Hull welcomes a man who walked the world
British explorer Karl Bushby arrived in his hometown of Hull on Monday morning, stepping out of a trolley laden with a spare tyre that will never be needed again.
Hundreds of supporters gathered in the city square to cheer the 57‑year‑old who has spent the last 28 years walking an estimated 50,000 km around the globe.
After 28 years, you just couldn't ask for more than this, Bushby told the crowd before promising, I guess I'll be seeing you around.
A journey far longer than the plan
The trek began with a modest budget, a tent and a cheap plastic camera, and was supposed to take ten years. Delays and setbacks stretched it to nearly three decades.
His route took him from Chile north through the Americas, across the ice between Alaska and Russia, through Mongolia and China, and back into Europe after swimming the Caspian Sea. He also swam across the English Channel in the final leg.
Back to family after a lifetime of walking
After the Hull reception, Bushby headed to his family home where his mother, his 36‑year‑old son and a 12‑year‑old granddaughter awaited.
The former British Army Parachute Regiment soldier, who left his marriage behind to follow a line drawn on a world map, now looks to a speaking tour around England in the coming weeks.
He reflected last year on the monotony of deserts and unchanging landscapes, a sentiment that now seems a footnote to a saga that captured the imagination of a nation.
