A 92-year-old has broken the record for the oldest person to complete a 24-mile route through the Grand Canyon after completing the hike in 21 hours.
Guinness World Records announced this week that Alfredo Aliaga Burdio of Berlin has set a new record for the oldest man to travel from rim to rim of the Grand Canyon on foot.
Mr Burdio received his title after completing the trek on October 15, breaking the previous record set by John Jepkema, who was 91 years and 152 days old when he briefly held the title in March.
The National Park Foundation rates the rim-to-rim trek as strenuous and reports that less than 1 percent of the Grand Canyon’s 5 million annual visitors make the trip.
The hike consists of a section of 23.3 kilometers during which visitors descend 1,800 meters to the bottom of the gorge. Hikers then hike another 9.6 miles and climb another 13,500 feet.
Although Mr. Burdio only started living a healthy lifestyle at the age of 76. He attributes his fitness and longevity to four things: a healthy diet, drinking mostly water, walking 30 minutes a day and sleeping eight hours a night.
Guinness World Records announced this week that Alfredo Aliaga Burdio of Berlin has set a new record for the oldest man to walk the Grand Canyon rim to rim
Mr. Burdio completed the challenge with his daughter and her husband in October 2023
However, it did not Mr. Burdio, who has hiked the Grand Canyon in Arizona several times, is not deterred. In January 2023, he began training for the Rim-to-Rim Walk, beginning with daily 13-mile walks.
Mr Burdio told Guinness: “I found training made a difference every day.”
He also attributed his fitness and longevity to four factors, reports The Guardian: watching what he eats, drinking water, walking for 30 minutes every day and “sleeping for eight hours in the dark of night.”
Although his attempt was originally scheduled for May, snow and meltwater damage closed several trails along his route.
After postponing his trip, Mr. Burdio finally left and boarded the ship at 06:00 on October 14. At 06:20 he made a quick stop at a viewpoint to watch the sunrise before continuing the arduous journey.
Mr. Burdio and his group started at the North Rim Trailhead and hiked 11 hours and 15 minutes on the first day. They reached Phantom Ranch, which provides accommodation for hikers.
On the second day, it took the group 10 hours to reach the South Rim Trailhead, where they reached their destination and Mr. Burdio cemented his place in the record books.
Now the 92-year-old wants to set new records by becoming the oldest person to hike routes through the South American Andes
Mr. Burdio began training for edge-to-edge walking by taking eight-mile walks daily
The path along the footbridge is very steep in places, but the 92-year-old made sure to take short breaks every hour.
He said: “After those first five hours I was very tired.” What surprised me was that after a break of about 15 minutes, I recovered some food and electrolytes and felt strong again and ready to tackle the next seven hours to take. attack.”
Mr Burdio added that it was important to go slow and steady and stay mentally motivated: “I think about the next step and the next step and not about how far I have to go.”
“Then it’s not so overwhelming and very doable.”
The avid hiker completed the journey with his daughter, her husband and two volunteer witnesses who monitored and documented his effort.
He said, “Can you believe that two people who would normally cross the canyon in eight hours agreed to act as witnesses, walked at my pace and showed unwavering support?”
His entire journey took 34 hours and 2 minutes, although the actual walking time was 21 hours and 15 minutes.
Although many visitors have successfully completed the Rim-to-Rim Trail, the National Park Foundation cautions that even the most avid hikers and physically fit people should take the training seriously—comparing the trail to climbing California’s highest Mount Whitney peak in the contiguous United States.
Mr Burdio said he hoped his achievement would show others that it is never too late to do what you love and achieve new goals, adding that it was only at the age of 76 that he began to have a ” to lead a healthy lifestyle”.
The 92-year-old has further plans to hike the Grand Canyon later this year, but will not attempt to set a new record. Instead, he set his sights on setting new records by becoming the oldest person to hike routes in the South American Andes.
Although he added: “But I’ll have to see how I get older.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
