[3] In 1981, Wilson moved to Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly Barrow), as the assistant to the Iñupiat mayor,[4] where he reported on Arctic life for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner[5] among others.

[6] Wilson relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1986, where he was a senior copywriter at an ad agency until 1989 when he began a creative consultancy specializing in the travel industry, while writing adventure articles for national media.

[7] In 1990, after having lived in Hawaii for several years, Wilson and his wife, Cheryl Keefe, began a 17-country African transect from London to Cape Town.

[9] In 1992, after training at high elevations in Vail, Colorado, Wilson and his wife set off to walk a 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) pilgrimage path from Lhasa, Tibet to Kathmandu, Nepal.

Upon arrival in Kathmandu, the Wilsons presented Tibetan prayer flags carried from Lhasa to the King of Nepal's private secretary at the Royal Palace.

In 1999, Wilson learned of the Camino de Santiago, a Spanish pilgrimage trail and continued his walks for peace in the historic tradition.

[31] From June–September 2009, Wilson and his wife traversed the high Alps for 2,400 kilometres (1,500 mi) across eight countries from Trieste to Monaco while researching a book about the Via Alpina, a new trans-European hiking network.