A British man nearing the end of his walk around the world faces one of his biggest challenges yet – European red tape. Former paratrooper Karl Bushby, 57, has spent the last 27 years trekking across the globe. He set off from Chile in 1998, with the aim of returning to Hull and has overcome infamous hurdles including the Darien Gap, being arrested in Russia, and having to swim through the Caspian Sea to avoid Iran.
But the English Channel has stopped him in his tracks, as GetLink, the operators of the tunnel, have denied his formal request to walk through the 31-mile long service tunnel. According to Karl’s own rules, he cannot use any form of mechanised transport, including ferries. He now faces the prospect of having to swim across the channel.
Karl said: ‘We greatly appreciate Eurotunnel reviewing my request to cross through the English Channel tunnel to arrive on UK soil for the first time in 28 years, and understand that they have many variables to consider. We remain hopeful that we can continue a dialogue and arrive at a solution that would address any concerns they have. This 27 year, 50,000km circumnavigation of the world on foot wouldn’t have been possible without the assistance of many people, organizations and governments along the way. It’s my sincere wish that Eurotunnel will reconsider and assist me in completing the final few miles of the journey. We need their help to make this dream come true.’
Last year, Karl – who swam more than 170 miles over 31 days across the Caspian Sea from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan to avoid entering Iran or Russia – joked that he would consider taking hostages if it meant avoiding having to swim the channel. Then, he said: ‘The first alternative would be to take hostages, and lastly, to swim. I’m just not in to the swim thing. I’ve had to do a couple of swims here and there, the Bering Strait there was a bit of swimming, and the big one was the Caspian Sea. [The English Channel] is a different stretch of water, it’s colder, we’ll see. Hopefully, I’ll never have to think about it.’
Karl, who is currently taking a break in Mexico, reached Belgium in early June, meaning he’s now under 1,000 kilometres from the finish line.
A Eurotunnel spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of Karl Bushby’s desire to walk through the Channel Tunnel as part of his journey. We have carefully considered his request and explored a range of possible options. In this instance, regretfully we are unable to accommodate Mr Bushby’s wishes. The Channel Tunnel’s Service Tunnel is a dedicated safety and maintenance route. Closing the Service Tunnel for a period of 15 hours, or over two days, would pose a safety risk to passenger services and impact essential maintenance work. Access is also tightly controlled and any activity within it requires detailed planning and specialist support. The safety of our passengers, staff and infrastructure is our highest priority, and we must ensure that all activity within the Tunnel meets strict operational criteria. We would like to congratulate Karl on his incredible journey to date and wish him well as he makes the rest of his way home.’
