Karl Bushby has to conquer one final problem before he can call time on the incredible journey which he started in 1998
There’s always something, isn’t there?
After traipsing across the globe on his ‘Goliath Expedition’ for the last 25 years, Karl Bushby has got to face one huge hurdle before he gets home, which could throw his entire mission into turmoil.
The 55-year-old, who hails from Hull, has been walking his absolute socks off for more than two decades after heading on the adventure of a lifetime way back in November 1998.
He’s been pounding the pavements with ‘unbroken footsteps’ in pretty much every corner of the world, after beginning his colossal expedition from Punta Arenas, Chile, with the aim of getting back to his hometown as soon as he can.
Originally, his mammoth mooch was supposed to take him 12 years to complete, but as we all know very well, even the best laid plans can end up growing awry.
Karl’s faced a lot of challenges on his route – including being arrested in Russia for not arriving at a correct point of entry, encountering visa issues, being battered by the elements and having to navigate ‘gaps’ between countries.
As the rules of his Goliath Expedition require him to only travel on foot, he’s faced difficulty getting to some spots.
Karl Bushby, 55, has to overcome one huge problem before he can successfully make it back to Hull (Instagram/@bushby3000)
The first gap was the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, the second was the Bering Strait between the US and Russia, and the third gap is the Channel Tunnel between France and the UK.
He managed to find a way around the first two, but he still needs to conquer the third and final crossing.
Karl can’t hop on any form of transport, so he’s going to struggle making it across the English Channel while completing the final leg of his more than 36,000 mile round trip.
He could swim, but between the exhaustion, freezing temperatures and erratic weather he’s bound to encounter, it’s not the best idea.
It leaves the former paratrooper with just one option – to go through the Channel Tunnel on foot while dodging the trains which operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
There is a way for him to do it without slinging himself in front of oncoming carriages though, but Karl’s going to have to say pretty please with sugar on top while fluttering his eyelashes if he stands a chance at getting permission for it.
The adventurer set off on his mammoth walk around the world in November 1998 (Instagram/@bushby3000)
Between the usual rail operations sections, there is a small additional tunnel which was built for maintenance workers which is 4.8m in diameter, according to Getlink Group.
This service tunnel ‘lies between the two rail tunnels 15m away from each of them’, so he’ll be in the thick of it, but not exactly in harm’s way.
It’s normally used by maintenance workers and emergency rescue teams, but it could also come in very handy for the Brit as he hits the home stretch.
The only problem is, he will need to get special permission and the correct authorisation from the relevant officials to use the tunnel, as people travelling through it on foot is not allowed.
Karl’s got his fingers crossed that they might be persuaded after he fills them in on his Goliath Expedition, though.
He told Armchair Adventure Festival: “Would they say no after decades of effort and only 21 miles from home?”
Let the lad get back to Hull, will you?
He can certainly walk the walk, but it remains to be seen whether he can talk the talk too and convince Channel Tunnel bosses to let him finish off his huge walk this way.
If you want to keep track of Karl’s last leg, you can find all the latest updates on his Goliath Expedition
