Karl Bushby Eyes English Channel Swim to Complete 58,000km Walk Home

British adventurer Karl Bushby is closing in on the finish of a three-decade trek around the world, but a final obstacle is threatening to delay the completion of his journey back to his hometown of Hull, England.

The former soldier arrived in Belgium in early June, but has been unable to gain permission to walk through the Channel Tunnel, the undersea link between France and England, preventing him from completing the last leg of his expedition.

Bushby, 57, set out on his self-styled Goliath Expedition from the southern tip of Chile in 1998, determined to walk all the way back to his hometown without using any form of transport and without returning home until the journey was complete.

One option Bushby has suggested on social media today is a swim across the English Channel from northern France. The crossing is a well-known challenge for endurance swimmers and covers approximately 35-40km at its narrowest point, depending on tides and currents.

Bushby is no stranger to long-distance swimming. In 2024, he completed a 300km swim across the Caspian Sea to avoid travelling through Russia or Iran.

A shortage of pilot boats, which are required to accompany Channel swimmers, has created a lengthy waiting list however.

“There is a two-year waiting list for people who are swimming the Channel,” Bushby explained. “That’s a certified swim. We don’t necessarily need a certified swim. Just want to get home, man. That’s it.”

A further complication is French law, which Bushby says prevents swimmers from setting off from the French coast.

“Problem number two, it’s illegal to swim from France. Back in the 90s, the French put in a law that basically says that no one can leave from the French coast,” he said.

Despite the obstacles, Bushby remains determined. He has secured a pilot boat that can operate in October and is now seeking approval from French authorities, who are reviewing his application.

“We have to somehow manage to convince them to give us some kind of release on that law,” Bushby said.

“Speaking to people who work on the English Channel, specifically those who, you know, use the boats, they’ve worked with a number of various expeditions and challenges that have tried to swim from France and all have been denied,” he added.

In the meantime, the British adventurer continues to seek permission from Channel Tunnel authorities to complete the final leg of his journey on foot through the 50km tunnel.

Bushby has covered more than 58,000km on foot since setting out from the southern tip of Chile. His route has taken him through the Americas, across the Darien Gap and into Alaska. In 2006, he and a teammate became among the few people in modern times to cross the frozen Bering Strait on foot, linking North America and Siberia.

In recent decades the Briton has crossed Asia and Europe to come within sight of the finish. The English Channel remains the last barrier to the completion of his remarkable round-the-world walk, which he hopes to finish this year.

With a decade of experience in adventure journalism, Ash Routen delivers insightful, evidence-based reporting on adventure, expeditions, and exploration. A paid subscription directly supports this independent reporting.