The Goliath expedition - Karl Bushby

In November 1998, British explorer and former Army paratrooper Karl Bushby set off from Punta Arenas, at the southern tip of Chile, with one extraordinary ambition: to walk all the way home to Hull, England, without using motorised transport to advance his journey.

Almost 28 years, 31,000 miles, four continents and around 30 countries later, Karl finally completed his epic Goliath Expedition, arriving home on 2 November 2026.

Along the way, he faced some of the world's most formidable challenges, from the dense jungles of the Darién Gap to the frozen wilderness of Alaska and the treacherous crossing of the Bering Strait between America and Russia. He swam major bodies of water, navigated complex international borders and endured extreme weather, political obstacles and years of uncertainty.

In this fascinating lecture, Karl will share the extraordinary story behind one of the most remarkable journeys in modern exploration. Through tales of adventure, adversity and sheer determination, he will offer a unique insight into the realities of an expedition that tested the limits of human endurance and redefined what it means to walk home.

Booking information

Monday night lectures are open to Fellows and Members and are included in the cost of membership.

Attending in-person

• All Fellows and Members wanting to attend in person must pre-book a free ticket. You will receive an e-ticket with a QR code that will be scanned on arrival. Your ticket can be shown on a mobile phone or printed. If you do not have a smartphone, we can find your name on the door list instead.
• Doors open at 5.30pm. Please use the Society's entrance on Exhibition Road. The lecture will begin at 6.30pm.
• Monday night lectures are held in person in the Ondaatje Theatre. The bar will be open in the Map Room before and after the lecture. Please be advised all payments are card only.
• The Ondaatje Theatre is fitted with a hearing loop. For the best quality sound we recommend sitting on the outside rows of the front seating section.
• There is step free access to the theatre. Wheelchair spaces can be booked in advance. If you have any questions about the venue, please contact events@rgs.org

Watch online

• You do not need to pre-book to watch the lecture online.
• All Monday night lectures are livestreamed via our website so you can watch them from wherever you are.

If you have any questions or require assistance with your booking, please email events@rgs.org

About Monday night lectures

Our Monday night lectures are exclusive to Fellows and Members and are included in the cost of membership. Members can book to attend the lectures in-person at the Society, or enjoy them live from the comfort of your own home.

These lectures are also recorded and uploaded to our website solely for members to catch up on whenever they like. If you would like to receive a weekly reminder email about the upcoming Monday night lecture, please sign up to our Updates about our Monday night lectures newsletter.

Accessibility at our events

We want everyone to feel welcome at our events. Key accessibility features of this event include:

• Step-free access to the event
• Accessible toilets
• Assistance dogs are welcome
• Hearing loop

For full details, please visit our accessibility page. If you have any questions or specific access requirements, feel free to get in touch with us on access@rgs.org