Author, News Department
Place of work, BBC Russian Service
Published 2 minutes ago
Reading time: 6 min
British traveler Carl Bushby swam the English Channel this week and returned to his native country, where he headed from Chile about 28 years ago. Bushby traveled a long way across the world on foot or by swimming.
Bushby, now 57, set out on November 1, 1998. For the journey, he set for himself two main rules, which he strictly followed: not to use any means of transport and not to take shortcuts, but to cover the entire intended route.
On Thursday, Bushby announced he had crossed the English Channel and was now heading to his home town of Hull.
“After all these years, it’s nice to feel my native land under my feet. - said the traveler. “It hasn’t been easy, but difficulty is one of the reasons I do this: to prove that I’m capable of more than I think I am.”
“We can all achieve so much more than we ever imagined,” he added.
Bushby completed the penultimate stage of his journey by swimming: for 20 hours he crossed the English Channel and at 15:30 on October 5 he reached the British coast near Dover. The British coastguard said it was coordinating his movements with French authorities to "ensure all safety protocols were followed."
The traveler was met on shore by his friends and family, including his father, former British commando Keith Bushby, and famous film director Werner Herzog, who is making a feature-length documentary about Bushby called Walk of Life.
Over the years of his journey, the traveler covered more than 48 thousand km and crossed 29 countries of the world.
According to him, due to visa restrictions, he could not spend too much time in some countries.
His route did not involve solely moving forward. In particular, he returned several times to Mexico, where life is relatively inexpensive: it was there that he spent the covid pandemic.
Bushby also periodically traveled to the United States, where his sponsors are located.
However, each time before the start of the next stage of the journey, Bushby returned exactly to the point at which his walking journey was interrupted.
In a TikTok video recorded after returning to Britain, Karl explained how he felt on the first day of his backpacking trip.
“It was a little scary, but exciting at the same time. You set off on a journey more than 50 thousand kilometers long. First of all, I had absolutely no idea how everything would turn out. I didn't know anything. Secondly, I knew I could do it. You’ll be surprised how far you can go if you have just a little bit of self-confidence,” he said.
Crazy idea
Bushby was born in Hull in 1969. He said he was bullied by classmates at school because of his dyslexia, which he was only diagnosed at age 13.
He remembers those years as “hell.” He said he found solace in nature, often spending his free time birdwatching in the fields around his home.
Later he joined the army and spent 12 years in the airborne forces.
It took him several attempts to complete his Pegasus Company training, a grueling course required of all future paratroopers.
Then, during his military service, Bushby had the idea to walk across the world. He drew an approximate route on the map and showed it to his colleagues, but they said that it was impossible.
However, their reaction had the opposite effect and only strengthened the determination of the future traveler.
A beautiful and dangerous path
In 1998, at the age of 29, Carl set out from Punta Arenas, the southernmost city on Earth on the southern tip of Chile, with a backpack on his back and the sole goal of walking home to the British city of Hull.
Initially, he expected that the journey would take about 12 years, but the difficulties of the journey, various unforeseen circumstances and global cataclysms pushed the moment of returning home further and further.
From Chile, Karl moved north through Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.
Using skills acquired during military service, as well as advice from his father, Carl managed to avoid clashes with armed gangs and overcome the Darien Gap, a difficult strip of jungle on the border of Colombia and Panama.
It is the only land route connecting these countries, as well as Central and South America, and one of the most dangerous routes in the world.
Then his path ran through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico, after which he crossed into the United States and Canada.
In March 2006, French traveler Dimitri Kieffer joined him. Together they crossed the Bering Strait on the ice that connected Alaska and Russia.
However, near the Chukotka village of Uelen, they were detained by Russian border guards for illegally crossing the border.
Travelers were threatened with a ban on entry into Russia, which could put an end to the entire enterprise. However, the appeal court allowed Karl to continue his journey.
This was preceded by the intervention of the late John Prescott, then Deputy Prime Minister of Great Britain and representing the East Hull constituency in Parliament, as well as Roman Abramovich, who at that time was the governor of Chukotka and owner of the Chelsea football club.
Karl walked on foot through Siberia, Mongolia and China, and then reached Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
Due to the tense international situation, he decided to avoid Iran and instead sail across the Caspian Sea to reach Azerbaijan. This swim took him 31 days.
From Azerbaijan, Karl continued his journey to Turkey and then reached Europe.
By mid-June 2026, he reached Belgium, and was only a few weeks away from Calais, France. However, Eurotunnel management rejected his request to be allowed to enter the UK through the Channel Tunnel.
This refusal forced Bushby to stay in Europe a little longer than he had planned.
When the BBC met him in Belgium in September, he admitted it was "definitely time to end", adding: "I don't want this to go on much longer."
Eurotunnel management continued to persist and left Bushby no choice but to swim across the English Channel.
How was the trip financed?
When Karl set off, he had only $500 in his pocket and no sponsors.
But gradually the expedition began to be financed mainly by Karl's own income, including from publications, including his book Giant Steps, and public appearances.
In 2007–2008, during the global financial crisis, it lost major sponsors. However, he subsequently managed to find new ones, including an American documentary film production company.
“At that point you don’t see it as an adventure anymore,” Karl previously told the BBC. “It hits you like a tsunami.”
His mother Angela, a former factory worker and now retired, said Carl was being falsely portrayed as coming from a wealthy family.
What's next?
In Hull, Karl is eagerly awaited by his mother Angela. In a comment to the BBC, she said that she would wait for her son right at the gate.
According to him, he talked with other travelers who made long treks on foot, and they told him about the feeling of loneliness and inner restlessness that they experienced after completing their hikes.
According to him, the first days in his native country were very strange, and he is still getting used to the UK again.
“It’s like I’m in some other country. I was gone for 28 years, everything changed. I'm getting used to using sterling again. I go to the store and don’t understand how much I spent, I have to constantly convert it into dollars. I don’t know many of the brands of products that are on the shelves,” says Bushby.
He doesn't have any definite plans for the future yet, but Angela doubts her son will stay in Hull for long.
Carl has a long-standing interest in science, nature, and how to inspire the next generation of travelers. It is quite possible that his next project will be dedicated to this.
