And there stood a traveller of the world

Aug 7 2006 By Daniel Cochlin, The Journal

Bowes man features among most intrepid walkers

Jean Beliveau has already well exceeded the record for most days walking without returning home.

And there have been a number of other spectacular feats of walking endurance.

* The first person reputed to have walked around the world is American George Schilling, in 1904. The first verified walker was David Kunst who, from June 20, 1970, to October 5, 1974, walked 14,450 miles over four continents.

* The first man to walk to both the North and South Poles was Robert Swan, who lives at Bowes, County Durham, who led the three-man In The Footsteps Of Scott South Pole expedition in 1986, and three years later headed the eight-man Icewalk North Pole trek.

* Karl Bushby, 37, from Hull, is also in the middle of a 12-year walk, setting off from Argentina, and hoping to arrive back in the UK. He is in South-East Russia, and hopes by his planned return in 2009 to hold the record for longest distance covered.