Photo: Eric Demarcq, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Karl Bushby set off from Punta Arenas, Chile, in November of 1998. Earlier this week he reached his mother’s house in England after walking nearly 50,000km through some of the world’s harshest landscapes.
Mr. Bushby, obsessed with endurance tests, wanted to find the longest distance he could travel on foot. His father suggested that he look into traversing the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia when it froze in the winter — unlocking a path across four continents.
Through it all, Mr. Bushby has been guided two self-imposed rules: He would not use modes of transport to travel, and he would not set foot in Britain again until the end of his journey.
Also in this week’s outdoor news: Backcountry hut tickets now digital, Columbia Sportswear teases tech billionaires with doomsday bunker giveaway, US giant eyes takeover of Kathmandu brand and more!
Missed yesterday’s feature? We compared five inflatable pillow models to help you pick the best whether you're a casual tramper or gram-conscious fastpacker.
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WALK1200KM: There’s more than just fun in numbers
Photo: Verity Jackson
From meeting new people, to challenging there skills and improving fitness, four Walk1200km participants share why and how they get the most from group tramping.
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21 fantastic summer trips, what we learned recreating a 1950s-era tramp, our 2026 Christmas gift guide, get thrills aplenty on this Ruahine knife-edge ridge and dozens more stories in our latest issue.
Hut of the week 🏡
Photo: Lachlan McKenzie
Kapakapanui Hut, Tararua Forest Park
Six-bunk Kapakapanui Hut was built by the Kāpiti branch of the NZ Deerstalkers Association in the late 1960s. In 2019, it received a full restoration and recladding by the Greater Wellington Backcountry Network with funding from the Back Country Trust. You can read more about the restoration work here.
The result of this work is a homely place, entered through a large lean-to stacked with firewood. The hut is on the 11km Kapakapanui circuit, less than an hour outside of Wellington, and takes in rolling tops, goblin forest and cool streams. We featured this hut in our October 2021 issue.
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