Even the Russians let me through their country
For nearly three decades, Karl Bushby has moved across the surface of the earth on foot alone, honoring a single self-imposed rule that has carried him 36,000 miles from Chile to the edge of Europe. Now, at 57, he stands in Belgium with Britain visible on the horizon — yet the final passage beneath the Channel has been denied him by Eurotunnel on grounds of safety and operational necessity. It is a quietly poignant moment in a long human story: a man who crossed the Bering Strait through ice-filled water and navigated the geopolitics of Russia now meets his most mundane obstacle, a corporate refusal, within sight of home.
- After 28 years of walking without once using transport, Bushby has arrived at the one crossing he cannot simply walk around — the English Channel.
- Eurotunnel refused his request to traverse the service tunnel, citing the 15-hour to two-day closure it would require and the unacceptable risk to passenger safety and maintenance schedules.
- The refusal was not entirely a surprise — Bushby had flagged his fears over a year ago, noting with bitter irony that even Russia had let him through during a period of world tensions.
- Bushby responded with the same pragmatism that has defined his journey: if the tunnel is closed to him, he is prepared to swim the Channel instead.
- His team is now weighing whether further negotiation with Eurotunnel is possible, or whether the water — as it was at the Bering Strait in 2006 — becomes the only road left.
Karl Bushby left Chile in 1998 with one rule: no transport, ever. For 28 years and 36,000 miles, he kept it — crossing continents, surviving extreme terrain, and navigating geopolitical complexity across dozens of countries. Now 57, he has reached Belgium and expects to arrive in Calais by September. The finish line is close enough to feel.
But on Tuesday, Eurotunnel closed the door on the most direct route home. The company explained that allowing Bushby to walk through the service tunnel would require a closure of up to two days, creating unacceptable risks to passenger operations and maintenance schedules. The tunnel's safety corridor demands strict controls, and no exception could be made — though the company did pause to congratulate him on what he has already achieved.
Bushby took the news steadily. He acknowledged it was early days and that his team would need to talk, but he left little doubt about his resolve: if swimming the Channel is what it takes, he is prepared to do it. This was no idle claim — in 2006 he swam through broken ice across the Bering Strait in an immersion suit. The English Channel, at 21 miles, is a fraction of what lies behind him.
The refusal carries its own irony. More than a year ago, Bushby had already voiced concern that permission might be denied, remarking that it would be a miserable outcome — especially given that Russia, amid all its geopolitical weight, had let him pass. He has crossed borders that seemed impossible. Now a bureaucratic decision stands between him and British soil, and the question is simply whether he walks beneath the water or swims above it.
Karl Bushby has spent nearly three decades walking around the world on foot, and now, at 57, he faces an unexpected barrier just miles from home. The former British paratrooper left Chile in 1998 with a singular constraint: he could not use any form of transport. For 28 years, he has honored that rule, covering 36,000 miles across continents and through countries, moving always under his own power. He reached Belgium this year and expects to arrive in Calais, France, by September. The final stretch should have been straightforward. But on Tuesday, Eurotunnel delivered its decision: they would not permit him to walk through the Channel Tunnel's service tunnel to cross beneath the water.
The company's reasoning was operational and safety-focused. A Eurotunnel spokesperson explained that closing the service tunnel for the 15 hours or two days required for Bushby to traverse it would create an unacceptable risk to passenger services and interfere with essential maintenance schedules. The tunnel's service route is a dedicated safety and maintenance corridor, tightly controlled and requiring detailed planning and specialist support for any activity within it. The company emphasized that all operations inside the tunnel must meet strict criteria, and that the safety of passengers, staff, and infrastructure remained their highest priority. They did, however, offer congratulations on his remarkable achievement to date.
Bushby received the news with measured pragmatism. "I've only just been told of the decision and it's early days," he said. "Clearly, my team will need to have conversations, but if I have to swim across the channel then I am prepared to do that." The statement was not mere bravado. In 2006, he had already crossed the Bering Strait, swimming through gaps in the ice while wearing an immersion suit—a feat that required both preparation and nerve. "I may have to start paddling again," he added, with a hint of resignation.
The refusal was not entirely unexpected. The BBC had reported on Bushby's concerns about gaining access more than a year ago, when he expressed worry that permission might be denied. At that time, he had noted the irony with some frustration: "It would be pretty miserable if it was a no. Even the Russians let me through their country, despite world tensions." He had navigated geopolitical complexities and extreme terrain across multiple continents, only to encounter bureaucratic closure at the threshold of his destination.
Now Bushby and his team face a choice. They can pursue further conversations with Eurotunnel, exploring whether any alternative arrangement might be possible. Or he can do what he has done before when conventional routes were unavailable: enter the water. The English Channel is roughly 21 miles at its narrowest point, a distance that pales against the 36,000 miles already behind him. Whether he walks through a tunnel or swims beneath it, the principle remains the same—forward motion, under his own effort, until he reaches British soil.
Notable Quotes
If I have to swim across the channel then I am prepared to do that.— Karl Bushby
The Channel Tunnel's Service Tunnel is a dedicated safety and maintenance route. Closing it for 15 hours would pose a safety risk to passenger services.— Eurotunnel spokesperson
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Eurotunnel really say no? It sounds like they had operational reasons, but was there something else?
The service tunnel is genuinely critical infrastructure. Closing it for even 15 hours disrupts maintenance schedules and creates a safety gap for passenger services. It's not that they were being difficult—it's that the tunnel operates on razor-thin margins. Any deviation creates real risk.
But he's walked 36,000 miles without using transport. Doesn't that demonstrate something about his ability to follow rules?
It does, and I think that's what makes the refusal sting for him. He's proven he can do the impossible within constraints. The tunnel company even acknowledged his achievement. But their constraints are different—they're about infrastructure, not about testing human will.
So swimming is actually consistent with his original challenge?
Completely. He's already swum the Bering Strait in an immersion suit. The rule was no transport—no vehicles, no planes, no ships. Swimming under your own power isn't transport; it's just another form of movement. In some ways, it's more in the spirit of the original challenge.
Do you think he'll actually do it?
I think he will. He's come too far to stop now, and he's already proven he can handle extreme water crossings. The Channel is cold and unpredictable, but it's not the Bering Strait. He knows what he's capable of.
What happens after he reaches Britain?
That's the question nobody's asking yet. After 28 years, after 36,000 miles, after swimming the Channel—what does home actually feel like?