How Karl Bushby set out to walk home from Chile…and never stopped

On 1 November 1998, Karl Bushby, a former British paratrooper, set out to walk the longest unbroken footpath in history. Starting in Punta Arenas, Chile, 27 years ago, he is now on the final stretch of his fascinating journey home to Hull, England. The Goliath Expedition is what his trek became known as.

Born in England on 30 March 1969, Karl Bushby is an adventurer. He joined the British Army at 16 and served for 11 years before becoming a man on a mission. Speaking to Oz Arab Media, Karl revealed that his time in the army helped him develop great strength and resilience. It was there, he said, that he truly learned to push his limits and explore how far he could go. However, his story is not merely one of perseverance, but one of confidence and belief.

Karl said his experience in the army, where everything was done on foot, inspired this extraordinary Goliath Expedition. He explained, “It was all about distance, endurance and self-reliance. We were always wondering how far we could go? What is the longest journey on foot?”. Later, while studying maps, he took a closer look at the Bering Strait and realised he could draw a line between the Asian and American continents. That’s when he concluded that there was a single, unbroken footpath he could walk around the world: from the southern tip of Chile all the way to his home in England. And from there, his quest began on 1 November 1998.

The Goliath Expedition: between Isolation and Wilderness

A journey like this always brings challenges of every kind. Bushby described several of these challenges to Oz Arab Media. He confessed, “The loneliness gets to you, it does get to you sometimes. You’re alone and you feel that pressure. Especially when so many people are counting on you and have supported your journey.”

But the major challenges of the Goliath Expedition came at the borders between countries. Moments Karl describes as “tense, especially in those gaps in between.” At one point, he found himself stranded in the middle of Asia, in Turkmenistan. Unable to return to Russia and uncertain how to enter Iran. Bureaucracy, geopolitics and the limits of sponsorship support all conspired to halt his progress.

Unable to move forward by land, Karl looked towards the Caspian Sea and decided to swim across it. Joined by three others, including two Azerbaijani swimmers, they formed a team of four. Today they became the first recorded group to complete the crossing of the sea. With the approval of Azerbaijan’s Minister of Sport and the assistance of support boats carrying their gear, they achieved what few would even dare to attempt.

Facing Barriers on the Longest Unbroken Footpath

Crossing the Bering Strait proved to be every bit as challenging as one might imagine. Karl admits he initially had doubts that he could make it across on the first attempt, and few others believed in him either. Many had tried and failed before him. But he studied their efforts carefully and succeeded on his very first attempt. Against all odds, the weather conditions aligned in his favour, allowing him to pull his sledges across the frozen expanse of the Bering Strait.

But Karl revealed that a particularly challenging obstacle of the expedition was crossing the border between Colombia and Panama: the Darién Gap. Karl told Oz Arab Media, “Crossing the jungle into Panama was an incredible experience. But also very dangerous and scary at times. It gives you pauses for thought. There were countless obstacles, and many people weren’t willing to give us the chance to cross.” Walking through this jungle tested travelers. Not only because of its harsh and unpredictable wildlife, but also because border officials imposed heavy bureaucratic hurdles on anyone trying to cross. For years, the Colombian government and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, People’s Army) fought on this very ground. They turned the Darién Gap into a front line of their long and violent conflict. It was a known war zone where countless travelers met tragic ends.

But the relationships lost along the Goliath Expedition footpath turned out to be the most harrowing challenges. More so than the physical and administrative.

Close to Home After a Lifetime on Foot

However, in the midst of all these obstacles, Bushby never doubted himself for a moment. Giving up simply never crossed his mind, not finishing the Goliath Expedition was never an option. He admitted that there could have been moments when he might have had to stop. Still, he always trusted his ability to find a solution to any problem. As he explained:
“If you’re mission-oriented, you have to understand what it’s going to take. What it’s going to demand of you to complete this mission. You start to play all the possible scenarios in your mind. And above all, self-confidence and self-trust are the key.”

Karl went on to say that, as a young paratrooper, the army had built him to feel almost bulletproof. And to feel he needed to prove it. Many people doubted his quest. But he spent years proving his dedication and showing that he was determined to finish what he had started

As of 1 September 2025, Karl has reached Europe, the final stage of the extraordinary Goliath Expedition. He believes he will make it back to his home in Hull, United Kingdom, within a year. Although Bushby feels a sense of melancholy as this enormous chapter of his life draws to a close, he has accepted that it must eventually end. “It will be good to arrive home and get it done, especially because I’m getting older,” he said.

Learn with the Goliath Expedition

As he nears the completion of his expedition, Bushby continues to write. Documenting his adventures, preparing for numerous talks and public speaking events. Producers are already working on a documentary about his life and journey.
“I don’t know how people will remember this; they’ll each remember it in their own way. It was never meant to be a statement or anything; it was just a personal thing,” he said.

He hopes to keep reminding people how important it is to travel and to see how wonderful the world truly is. Having spent so many years out there, he wants to send a powerful message: people are good, and we shouldn’t be afraid. “I’d even call travelling a form of essential education” Bushby adds.

But still, the main thing Karl Bushby wanted to emphasise about the Goliath Expedition, something important for the world to know, is that this mission was collective and did not involve him alone. “The world has been my support network, from people who nursed me back to health when I was sick, to family who raised funds for me. It took a world to get where I am. People tend to forget all of that as well,” he shared.

Karl added, in a final note: “Thanks to the world, to sponsors, I knew I was going to make it home. The most crucial thing on a mission like this is to have confidence, determination, and the ability to understand what it is that you’re trying to do. In reality, you have to make an assessment of what it is that you’re trying to achieve, and approach it with confidence.”