After Three Decades, World Trekker Karl Bushby Makes His Final Push Home to Hull
The final miles in Lincolnshire
Bushby is travelling through rural Lincolnshire with his heavy-duty gear trolley, known as “The Beast.” A puncture in the handcart required a roadside repair as he approached the last stretch of his journey. His route has taken him across four continents, through the Darién Gap and over the frozen Bering Strait. Just weeks before the Lincolnshire walk, he swam the English Channel after reaching Dover.
A life defined by the mission
Bushby, now 57, says the journey has been central to how he sees himself. “Every fibre of my being, every day, has been what I’m doing right now,” he says.
He expects the end of the trek to bring an identity crisis, because he has been an adventurer for half his life. Still, he says he retains his sense of adventure.
Years away from home
He says much of the time on the road went not to walking but to visa applications and dealing with geopolitics. Angela Maxwell, an American long-distance walker, joined him on the route from Dover.
What comes after Hull
He says he has not missed the UK beyond those familiar comforts. He also joked that romance would not be straightforward, while acknowledging that life after the mission will be a major change.
Key points
- Bushby is making the final miles of his journey to Hull through Lincolnshire.
- His trek crossed four continents and included the Darién Gap and frozen Bering Strait.
- He recently swam the English Channel before continuing from Dover with Angela Maxwell.
- Bushby says ending the mission may challenge an identity built around adventure.