British adventurer Karl Bushby has finished his 28-year walk around the world. He reached Hull city centre on Monday, Nov. 2, the Evening Standard reported, pushing his cart into Queen Victoria Square outside City Hall.
Key Highlights
- Bushby, a 57-year-old former paratrooper, arrived in Hull on Monday after walking about 31,000 miles (50,000 km), the Evening Standard reported.
- He set off from southern Chile in 1998 and vowed to use no motorized transport.
- He swam the English Channel in October, reports said.
- Hundreds of well-wishers greeted him, including the Lord Mayor.
How the Journey Ended
Bushby reached Queen Victoria Square at about 11 a.m., LADbible reported. He was due at his mother’s house by about 1 p.m.
The final leg was about three miles to her home in north Hull, which he last visited in 1998, according to the Evening Standard.
“There has never been a welcome home quite like this,” Bushby said, the Evening Standard reported. He added: “This is absolute madness. After 28 years, you couldn’t ask for more than this.”
Lord Mayor Maria Coward said, “We all share pride in his incredible achievement,” according to LADbible.
Hull East MP Karl Turner read a congratulatory message from Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the Evening Standard reported.
What Is the Goliath Expedition?
Bushby began the trek from the southern tip of Chile in 1998. He called it the Goliath Expedition.
His rules were simple. He would use no motorized transport to advance, and he would not go home until he arrived on foot, according to 24 News HD.
The route included the Darien Gap in Central America and the frozen Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia, the Evening Standard reported.
Blocked from entering Russia and Iran, he also swam across the Caspian Sea, according to a report in The Express Tribune. Outlets differ on how long that swim took.
The English Channel Problem
The Channel was one of the last hurdles. Under his rules, Bushby could not take a boat across it.
An earlier report said he hoped for permission to walk the Channel Tunnel’s service tunnel. Walking the tunnel is prohibited, and the report said officials had not responded to his team. If permission was not granted, swimming was his remaining option.
The Evening Standard reported that Bushby returned to England earlier this month and announced he had swum the Channel. LADbible also reported an October swim. 24 News HD said he reached British soil on Oct. 5 and then walked about 400 km to Hull. That date comes from a single outlet.
What Remains Unclear
Some details differ across reports. A few outlets said Bushby arrived on Sunday, Nov. 1, while the Evening Standard, LADbible and other reports said Monday, Nov. 2. This article uses Monday.
Reports also give slightly different ages for Bushby when he set off. We have left that detail out. The step count in some reports, about 75 million, is an estimate. We did not independently verify any of the figures.
A spokesperson told LADbible that Bushby “is feeling like it’s the end of his life as he knows.” LADbible said a press conference at Hull City Hall was planned for the afternoon.
For more human-interest coverage, read our report on the death of actress Susan Saint James at 80.
Sources: Evening Standard via AOL (Nov. 2); LADbible (Nov. 2); 24 News HD (Nov. 1); The Express Tribune.