Forget 10,000 steps of trendy Japanese walking routines; Karl Bushby has been walking for nearly three decades. And yes, you guessed it right – it was a barroom bet.
Karl Busbhy, a British adventurer, began his Goliath Expedition in 1998, standing at the edge of Chile, and vowed to return home to England on foot. Today, Bushby is the only person who has been on a 50,000 km non-stop non-vehicular journey, which he estimated would take 12 years. In 2025, he is 56 and the journey is far from over. However, it is near to the end as he is set to conclude his trip in September 2026.
Having crossed 25 countries, deserts, war zones, jungles, and frozen seas, two continents later, he is on a 27-year endurance journey of survival and willpower. After 27 years and 9 months left in the journey, Bushby has travelled across Patagonia, the Andes, Central America, Mexico, and along the length of the US, Russia, Mongolia, and parts of Asia.
Who is Karl Bushby?
Born in 1969 in Hull, England, Bushby was a fighter at heart. At 16, he joined the British Army’s Parachute Regiment and served for about 12 years. A key source of his motivation, Bushby learned survival, navigation, and endurance skills in the armed forces. Facing such hardships, Bushby shaped the foundation of this historic trip, which will forever be known in history.
How the Goliath Expedition started
It was November 1998 when Bushby found himself in Chile. It was just after he travelled to Punta Arenas with $500. With paper maps, pencil calculation, and a bit of grit, Bushby kicked off the Goliath Expedition. Looking at it as a ‘doable challenge’, Bushby set afoot.
While his time in the army had toughened him out, the financial strain was huge. The pandemic, visa issues, and travel restrictions proved to be a major hurdle for Bushby. One of his biggest setbacks came from Russia’s 2013 visa ban. To challenge it, he walked from Los Angeles to the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC. However, in 2006, when he reached the Bering Strait, between Alaska and Eurasia, he had to serve 57 days in custody due to a travel ban. He has walked through frozen water bodies and perilous jungles. Karl Bushby is on a march against time.
In August 2024, he crossed the Caspian Sea and swam for 31 days and slept on support boats for the month.
The Karl Bushby effect
Initially, his family supported him financially, but as the popularity of his trip grew, more and more people started to contribute globally. Eventually, he signed brand deals that would sponsor his gear and even finalised a deal with a production company, which intended to base a film on his journey.
