People have been to the top of the tallest mountain, sunk to the deepest part of the ocean, and even stepped foot on the moon. But according to Joseph Pisenti of RealLifeLore, no one has ever accomplished the longest possible walk on Earth.
In a captivating video, Pisenti presents what it would be like to take this incredible trek without the benefit of any ferries, planes, or automobiles. Just your two god-given feet.
Pisenti’s research revealed a walkable path that goes from Capetown, South Africa to Magadan in the extreme north of Russia. The road stops at Magadan because to travel any further would require crossing un-walkable terrain.
The total trip would be 14,334 miles. Your feet would have to endure 76.5 miles worth of elevation changes, that’s like climbing Mount Everest and coming back down again 14 times.
According to Google Maps, the trip would require 194 days of non-stop walking.
Pisenti speculates that the average person would be able to walk only about 20 kilometers a day over the course of eight hours. That means the entire trip would take about 1,153 days. That’s over 3 years.
The trip would require an incredible amount of logistical planning. You’d have to make sleeping arrangements along the route and pack a tent for your nights spent in the wild.
There are some drastic climate shifts along the way, so you’d have to bring clothing for some of the coldest temperatures on earth while having enough water to make it through some of its hottest.
There’s also the daily consideration of finding a place to
go to the bathroom and find a bite to eat.
Here are some of the other troubles you may face along the way:
Your journey will take you to Zimbabwe, home of the dreaded black mamba. Just two drops of its venom can kill you.
You’ll also walk through Uganda, the country with the highest malaria rate in the world.
Next, your trip will take you through South Sudan — the third most dangerous country on the entire planet.
Up next is Sudan, where you’ll have to journey across the Sahara Desert where temperatures can reach 136°F.
After making your way through Egypt, Jordan, and Israel,
you’ll have to hoof it through war-torn Syria.
If you survive Afghanistan, the rest of your walk will be in Russia which includes a long hike through bone-chilling Siberia.
The final leg of your journey will take you through an area of Russia known as the Road of Bones. It was named after the thousands of Gulag prisoners who died building it under Stalin’s reign of terror.
If you’ve made it that far and reach Magadan, congratulations! You’ve just traveled the longest walkable distance on earth.
Nice view, isn’t it?
Now, the question is, how are you going to get home?
Photo credit: RealLifeLore, Flickr, Wikimedia Commons.