The Longest Route on Earth
Yann Busnel’s „No-Engine“ Expedition from South Africa to South America.
Interviewed on the 26.06.2025
For twelve years, while serving in the French special forces, Yann Busnel was quietly preparing for a mission unlike anything he had undertaken in uniform: a journey, without the use of any engine, from the southernmost point of Africa to the southernmost point of the Americas. The longest route on Earth, without crossing an ocean. No one has done it so far; Yann made it his mission to be the first.
At 32, Yann had already lived several lives (helicopter mechanics, weapons, commando instructor, first aid instructor, R&D, mountaineering, paragliding, diving) but the idea of a grand expedition had accompanied him since childhood. His father had given him the thirst for adventure, and the instinct to push himself had been present for as long as he could remember. Still, the turning point came during an especially demanding military training program. Exhausted to the edge of collapse yet still advancing, he realized how rare his combination of experience, resilience, and physical condition truly was. It felt, to him, like a sign. The day he understood he could no longer postpone the calling that had shadowed him for years.
“For me, this isn’t a choice - it’s a mission.”
So he stepped out of the army to dedicate himself fully to this adventure.
The concept was simple in words and nearly impossible in reality: walk, paddle, climb, pull, and push his way across continents without ever crossing an ocean - tracing a continuous line through Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas powered only by muscle and the occasional use of wind. People often asked him why this route, why not a global circumnavigation, why skip Europe and Australia. But Yann was never after variety. He is after purity.
“This is the longest way on Earth. The ultimate line. If I can do it, why would I do anything else?”
Before leaving, he had imagined solitude, hardship, and discovery - but the reality ran far deeper than anything he anticipated. He later admitted that he hadn’t been mentally prepared for the true solitude of an adventurer. Not the quiet of a holiday, but the kind that strips away noise and routine, leaving only oneself to confront.
With time, though, something shifted. Step by step, he shaped himself into the person he needed to be. He grew into the rhythm of the journey and, eventually, began living the adventure exactly as he had envisioned it.
„I created the character I wanted to be. And I began to live my adventure the way I had dreamed it.”
To date, Yann has traveled nearly 17,000 kilometers, never using an engine. Not for a shortcut, not for an emergency, not even when movement slowed to a crawl through mountains with a camel or when he was paddling against coastal winds.
“It’s not one achievement. It’s perseverance. Recklessness. Boldness. And staying motivated even when everything blocks you.”
After crossing the Red Sea by kayak, Yann traded his boat for a camel: a companion that quickly became his best friend and is named Rouhoul. Together they crossed the Empty Quarter by foot.
One of Yann’s proudest moments was finding Rouhoul a safe and dignified home after months of traversing the insanely hot desert of Rub’al Khali.
“In the Emirates, we were at our limit! It was almost 52 degrees. My camel didn’t want to move anymore. I kept telling him: We have no choice. We must cross these dunes.”.
Yann actually wrote a book about Rouhoul which is called „Rouhoul : L'histoire vraie d'un dromadaire extraordinaire“. Every cent raised from book sales goes toward giving Rouhoul a well-deserved retirement, once Yann has finished his adventure. Yann wants to bring Rouhoul to Europe - why? Because dromedaries only have around half their lifespan in the desert. They get older and get bad teeth because everything they eat is sand covered. In Europe Rouhoul can eat fresh grass and live a better life. Support here.
Yann recalls countless everyday moments and people who left their mark along the way: the old Tswana man in the African bush whose eyes “held the entire universe,” the young children who followed him for miles, the Dutch sailors who watched him disappear alone into the open sea on a tiny kayak, the tribes who offered bread, tea, and protection without hesitation. True adventure, he believes, is shaped by these ordinary yet extraordinary encounters. They are what give a journey its soul, and often, what keep a traveler moving forward.
Not every encounter carried warmth. Some revealed the opposite.
Animals, deserts, mountains, they are logical. Humans are not,” he says. “Most of my doubts came from governments, police, prohibitions. That is when I thought about giving up.”
What pulled him through were the messages, sometimes simple and sometimes anonymous, sent by friends, family, and strangers.
“Doubt always has a beginning and an end,” he says. “You just have to hold on long enough to see the end.”
With time, Yann felt himself shifting into what he calls a citizen of the world, a transformation that unfolded quietly through thousands of encounters and the steady rhythm of moving forward. It was not a new identity so much as a new way of seeing. He describes feeling like a different man: more humble, more open, more in tune with himself and the vastness around him.
He has walked among the poorest and the richest, through remote tribes and megacities, meeting people who welcomed him with generosity and others who looked on with suspicion. These contrasts shaped his worldview, but they also sharpened a single conviction: the vast majority of people on Earth are wonderful. In his eyes, it is systems and governments that sow distrust. Without them, he believes, humans would simply sing and dance together.
This journey has also deepened his dream of a world where men and women share equal rights, a hope made sharper by the inequalities he has witnessed firsthand.
Yann often shares his philosophy with a kind of casual clarity, as if the lessons of the road have distilled themselves into simple truths.
“Patience and perseverance. If you want, you can even play the flute with your nose. You just have to practice. And if you want to be world champion, practice longer.”
To him, success is closely tied to intention. He believes that goodness returns to those who offer it. As he puts it:
“When we are good people and we do good things, the universe puts good people on our path.”
From there, his broader message comes through almost as an extension of his journey.
“Love the world. Love life. Take interest in everything. Respect everything. We all have our place. If you feel bad where you are, it’s because you haven’t found it yet.”
These days, Yann’s life moves between intense effort and focused preparation. His nights belong to his journal, where he draws, writes, and tries to capture the ideas that come faster than he can note them down. The journey is far from finished, yet his determination stays intact.
“If you wait until you’re 100% ready,” he smiles, “you will never do it.”
Connect with Yann here.
© 2025 Grit & Dust (The Longest Route on Earth ). Photos © 2025 Beyond The Capes. All rights reserved. No part of this article or images may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission.