For more than eight years, Lucy Barnard has been doing something deceptively simple: putting one foot in front of the other. Step by step, she has been walking north from the southern tip of South America, driven by a quiet curiosity about how far determination alone can take a person.
Lucy began her journey in Ushuaia, Argentina, in February 2017, setting out to walk the length of the Americas towards Alaska. When complete, the route will span roughly 30,000 kilometres, cross two continents and more than a dozen countries, and place her among a very small group of people to have attempted such a feat. If she reaches her goal, she will be the first woman to walk the entire distance on foot.
She averages 30 to 40 kilometres a day, carrying everything she needs as she moves through deserts, mountains, rainforest and long stretches of remote terrain. Her days start early and her routine is simple. Progress isn’t measured in speed or records, but in consistency.
“I’m not fast,” Lucy says. “But I’m relentless.”
The idea for the walk didn’t arrive with grand ambition. It surfaced quietly during a trip to Argentina years ago, as Lucy sat on a painfully slow bus watching the landscape slide past the window. She wondered how far it might be possible to walk from there. A little research revealed that only a handful of people had ever walked from South America towards North America, and no woman had completed the journey end to end. Rather than being discouraged, Lucy was intrigued.
“I wanted to see how hard it really was,” she says. “And what would come up.”
What came up was everything. Lucy’s path has taken her through Patagonia, across the Andes, through arid deserts and dense jungle, and into countless towns and villages along the way. She has spoken openly about the intense loneliness of walking solo for long periods, and how mentally demanding it can be to keep moving when days blur together and progress feels slow.
Partway through her journey in Chile, Lucy adopted a blue heeler puppy named Wombat. What began as a practical decision soon became transformative. Walking with Wombat changed the rhythm of the expedition, bringing companionship, routine and connection to the long days on the road.
“He makes my life easier and safer,” Lucy says simply.
Like many long adventures, Lucy’s walk has been interrupted. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to pause when borders closed around the world. She returned to Australia while Wombat was cared for by others, uncertain when — or if — the journey would resume. More than two years later, Lucy returned to South America and resumed walking from the exact point where she had stopped.
In 2023, she became the first woman to walk the length of South America — a significant milestone, but only halfway to her ultimate goal. From there, she continued north through Central America and Mexico before entering the United States, where established long-distance trails offered a new rhythm after years of navigating her own route.
In 2024, Lucy was named Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year, with Wombat also receiving special recognition — an honour that acknowledged not just the scale of the journey, but the spirit behind it. Yet accolades have never been her motivation.
“I never thought I’d get this far,” Lucy admits. “I just thought I’d try — and maybe be a benchmark for the woman who comes next.”
In 2025, Lucy entered Canada, continuing north through vast wilderness towards Alaska. The final stages of the journey will be the most demanding yet, with long distances between resupply points and extreme cold to contend with. Still, Lucy approaches the challenge the same way she always has: steadily, pragmatically, and one day at a time.
“My resilience is my safety net,” she says. “No matter how hard it gets, I know I can keep going and find a solution.”
Lucy Barnard embodies what the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour celebrates. She proves that extraordinary adventures don’t require extraordinary beginnings. She values persistence over perfection, curiosity over bravado, and connection over conquest. Most of all, she reminds us that adventure is not about being fearless — it’s about being willing to give things a go.
As Lucy continues north, step by step, she carries no guarantees. Only determination, curiosity, and a deep belief in forward motion.
One foot. One day. One wild, adventurous journey at a time.
Most commonly asked Q’s:
• Lucy has covered 22,389 km
• In March Lucy was up to Mt Robson in BC Canada which is near Jasper (a well known NP town),
• She has approx 4500km to go
• By now Lucy is probably up to Fraser Lake, not far past Prince George, a major infrastructure port in BC.
• This ads approximately 340km to the total
Follow along to see Lucy and Wombat’s last leg of their walk at https://tanglesandtail.com/ or on Instagram
All images are credited to Lucy Barnard and come from her
