Tarantulas in Chile and gun-toting guerrillas in Colombia could not stop him. But Karl Bushby has been defeated by Russian red tape after a court in the far-east region of Chukotka in Siberia ordered his deportation half-way and seven years through a 58,000km walk around the world.
Bushby, 37, had hoped to complete his journey home to Hull, in northern England, via Russia, Mongolia, central Asia and Europe by 2013 on his Goliath expedition. But he and his American companion, Dimitry Kieffer, were arrested this month after making the treacherous crossing into Russia from Alaska across the semi-frozen Bering Strait. On Friday a court in Lavrentiya ordered their deportation for entering a special border zone without permission and fined them 2,000 roubles (US$72) each.
Bushby's father, Keith, said his son planned to appeal, a process that could take four months.
Bushby admitted the offence but was exasperated that no leniency could be shown.
Russian federal law prohibits a deported foreigner from returning for five years. Before his hearing, Bushby told the NTV channel: "All my sweat-soaked shirts and my bloodied feet will be in vain."
He said he was considering making a direct appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Siberia still has a cold war image of gulag camps and salt mines in the West. The Russians had a great chance to open a chink of light on the place but they've blown it."
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