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The longest walkable route on Earth that no human has been able to complete yet

The seemingly endless stretch calls for a demanding journey across 17 countries and six time zones.

By

Neha B.

By  Neha B.
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Representative Image Source: Pexels – Photo credit: vi nowak

Like an intricate wiring diagram, the map of the world contains more permutations and combinations of routes than humans can possibly discover. This leads to some passages remaining untravelled. The “longest walkable route on the Earth,” too, has remained unexplored by anyone, not because nobody knows about it, but because it is filled with obstacles. 

Image Source: Reddit | r/Mapporn
Image Source: Reddit | r/Mapporn

The seemingly endless trail spans from L’Agulhas in Cape Town, South Africa to the port town of Magadan in the far northeast of Russia, as per IFL Science. The route measures 22,387 kilometers, which is longer than the 3525-kilometer Appalachian trail, the 4500-kilometre Great Himalayan trail, and the 804-kilometre Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail.

Image Source: Himalayan mountain trail (Photo by Yawar Nazir/Getty Images)
Image Source: Himalayan mountain trail (Photo by Yawar Nazir/Getty Images)

No matter how much one tries, no man has completed this route by walking. Interestingly, the path is paved in such a way that travelers do not require flights, ferries, or boats to traverse it. However, according to Google Maps, taking a ferry across the Black Sea would shorten the distance to 21,779 kilometers, which might not bring much difference. 

via GIPHY

All that remains in the terrain to cross are roads and bridges. If someone traverses this route, they end up crossing 17 countries and six time zones, each offering its unique weather panorama. Ideally, it should require 4,492 hours without any stoppage to cover the distance. But even the toughest human requires time off for naps, meals, and other necessities. 

Representative Image Source: Pexels | josh willink
Representative Image Source: Pexels | Josh Willink

In reality, the voyage will take much longer than just 4,492 hours, probably more than a year if you are walking for 8 hours daily. Moreover, there are hoards of hurdles on the path. Take, for example, the extreme weather conditions. From the scorching heat of the Sahara Desert to the freezing Siberian tundra, or the malaria mosquitos of tropical Africa, or the war-infested Russian territories; the route is an extremely hard and dangerous journey to undertake.

Representative Image Source: Pexels | yogendras31
Representative Image Source: Pexels | yogendras31

Many Redditors like u/Perfect_gas and u/cbz3000 claimed to have known about this route. However, as intriguing as it sounds, not a single person has walked this route completely yet, given the tough conditions, including changing weather.

Image Source: Reddit | u/littlemancodelearner
Image Source: Reddit | u/littlemancodelearner

u/varysisamermaid69 said, “You need to be Jesus to complete this!” Another Redditor, u/branderhooven, commented, “These are the type of things I would do if I had all my bones replaced with some type of nanocarbon things, and the future brings you a life that may last several hundred years.” Describing the pathway, u/zaitsman said, “Just so you know, it is not exactly a ‘road’ up Magadan end. More like walking through bushes, swamps, marshes, and forests.”

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caption=”Image Source: Reddit | u/[deleted]” photo_credit=”” title=””]

It is not that people haven’t walked distances like the one presented by this route. A man named Arthur Blessit once walked “round the world” covering over 64,753 kilometers, marking the longest-known religious pilgrimage. A Guinness World Records holder, Blessit visited all seven continents, including Antarctica, and crossed 321 nations, island groups, and territories. He did all this while carrying a wooden cross and preaching from the Bible.

Image Source: The traveling Christian preacher Arthur Blessitt with his cross in St. Peter's Square, Rome, December 16, 1979. (Photo by Edoardo Fornaciari/Getty Images)
Image Source: The traveling Christian preacher Arthur Blessitt with his cross in St. Peter's Square, Rome, December 16, 1979. (Photo by Edoardo Fornaciari/Getty Images)

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    It gets 50% stronger when submerged in water.

    Erik Barnes

    Plastic waste has been a growing global issue for years. The United Nations Environment Programme says that 19 to 23 million metric tonnes of plastic waste leaks into lakes, rivers, and oceans each year. Given the threat microplastics pose to animal and human health, efforts to find green replacements have intensified—and they’re working. Scientists from Singapore and Spain have found a strong, potentially viable replacement for plastic made from shrimp shells.

    A research team based at the Singapore University of Technology and Design and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia in Barcelona has made a biodegradable plastic alternative out of chitosan. Chitosan is a compound created by combining shrimp shells with trace amounts of nickel. It contains a structural molecule found in the shells of crustaceans and insect exoskeletons. Usually discarded as a waste byproduct of shrimp and crab processing, chitosan is commonly produced during seafood preparation and commercial fishing.

    The issue with chitosan, though, was that it weakens and dissolves in water. That is, until recently.

    How chitosan got stronger

    Dissolving chitosan flakes into a weak acetic solution and mixing them with dissolved nickel chloride and water produced surprising results. Scientists then poured the mixture into molds to dry. The process yields a thin, green-tinted film with the strength of commonly used plastics like polypropylene. Even better, when submerged in water, the film grows 50% stronger. This increased durability matches the characteristics of polycarbonate and PETG, plastics commonly used in commercial single-use water bottles.

    Researchers then stress-tested the chitosan material by molding it into cups and containers. They were able to confirm it could hold water without leaks. In terms of biodegradability, the chitosan material reached its half-life in four months in a standard soil burial test. By contrast, most commercial plastics can take centuries to decompose under similar conditions.

    Researchers found that this is not only a better biodegradable plastic alternative, but also one that produces zero waste during creation. When the chitosan/nickel film is submerged, about 87% of the nickel washes out. That wash water can then be reused again and again from one batch of chitosan to the next. According to the researchers, the nickel content of a single AAA battery would provide enough nickel to manufacture more than a dozen chitosan drinking cups.

    The potential future

    Rigorous testing to assess the material’s limits for medical use and consumption still needs to be done. That said, the Food and Drug Administration has already approved products containing chitosan and nickel individually in the past. Barring any troubling research about their combined safety, the outlook is quite positive for future use.

    Hopefully, seafood and battery waste can be reduced, helping lower plastic waste in a three-way win for the environment.

    Keep Reading →

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