British explorer walks home from the end of the world after making a bet with friends

 An incredible journey began with a daring bet with friends. At the age of 29, former British Army paratrooper Carl Bushby decided to travel the world on foot. At that time, he thought that it would take a maximum of 10-12 years to complete the expedition. But with time, that calculation changed. A long 27 years have passed after overcoming various adversities. Now, at the age of 56, Bushby has reached the final chapter of the biggest expedition of his life.

‘Goliath Expedition’: A story of making the impossible possible

In 1998, Bushby set off from Punta Arenas, Chile, one of the most remote regions in the world. He named this expedition ‘Goliath Expedition’. From the beginning, he bound himself with two strict rules—

• No motorized vehicles of any kind can be used
• No return home until he reaches his destination on foot
• Following these rules, he moved forward across continents one after another. 

Mountains, jungle, ice and sea—all on foot

Over the past 27 years, Carl Bushbee has traversed the remote lands of Patagonia, the Andes Mountains, Central America, Mexico and the entire United States on foot. He has then traveled to Russia, Mongolia and various regions of Asia.

Among the most dangerous chapters of this journey were—

• The infamous Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia

• Crossing the Bering Strait through ice to reach Russia from Alaska

• Swimming across the Caspian Sea from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan for 31 days

A long journey of stop-and-go

His journey has been repeatedly interrupted by problems such as visa complications, political tensions, economic crises and global pandemics. Sometimes he had to wait in one place for months, sometimes for years.

At first, he had only $500 in his pocket. At times, he had to rely on food found on the side of the road to satisfy his hunger. However, as word of his brave expedition spread over time, ordinary people, families, and various organizations extended a helping hand.

Faith in people is the greatest strength

According to Bushby, the biggest lesson of this long journey is that the world is as difficult as it seems, in fact it is as humane. In his experience, 99.99 percent of the people he met on the way helped him in times of danger. This love and compassion has given him the strength to move forward for 27 years.

Towards the end, thoughts of a new beginning

Carl Bushby is currently staying in Hungary. He is now only 932 miles from his hometown of Hull, England. According to the plan, this historic journey is supposed to end in September 2026.

However, he himself admitted that it would not be easy for him to stop suddenly once his goals have been achieved. Nevertheless, this adventurous explorer intends to work with science education in the future.

 The story of Carl Bushby is living proof of the journey that began with a bet and has now become a world-conquering story.