This 92-Year-Old Just Became the Oldest Person to Hike the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim

The Rim-to-Rim is a burly hike: At 24 miles in length and with more than 10,000 feet of elevation gain and loss, it’s a challenge for anyone. But last month, 92-year-old Alfredo Aliaga set a new bar when he broke a Guinness world record (pending verification) by becoming the oldest person to complete it.

The hike took Spanish-born Aliaga 21 hours over the course of two days to complete. He succeeds former record holder John Jempka, who made the trip at 91 years and 152 days of age. 

Aliaga previously hiked the Rim-to-Rim twice before with his daughter, Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau, and son-in-law, Jurgen Buchenau, the first time in 2019. During the pandemic, Buchenau started scrolling the internet to see if he could find the latest record on the trail. Eventually, he realized that Aliaga missed the age cut-off by about three months during their previous hike. When Aliaga found out, he was intrigued.

“This is not a family that usually goes for records or anything like that,” Buchenau told Backpacker. “He just kind of got interested in it. I think he wanted something to prove to himself.”

At his home in Berlin, Aliaga started walking three hours per day to increase his fitness levels. Last year, the trio hiked the Rim-to-Rim a second time, thinking that they were preparing for a record attempt in Spring of 2023. But snow and a North Rim closure derailed their plans.

When the trio set out to complete the record last month, Buchenau and Aliaga-Buchenau worried that the endeavor could be dangerous. 

“Of course there is always some fear because I know that people get hurt in the canyon,” Buchenau said. “So, I’m always worried about really hot weather. And I know in October it can be daunting and unexpected things can happen. You can fall and break or sprain an ankle. There’s always a little bit of a sense that things can go wrong but it was just amazing to do it together with him because it meant he wasn’t alone and none of us were alone waiting for him to come up.”

Despite their concerns, Aliaga managed to hike the trail with few difficulties. He trekked at a deliberate pace, and even took extra time to snap selfies with fans as he made his way through the canyon. 

To those who know him, it isn’t entirely surprising that the Grand Canyon captured Aliaga’s interest. After his wife died in 2006, he began to heal from the loss by revisiting places that they’d seen together, like the canyon. He has also had a lifelong interest in geology, even earning his PhD in the subject, and traveled to many of the United States’ national parks with his wife. Setting a record in that type of terrain seemed like a dream.

What came as the biggest shock during the hike was the size of the community that rallied around the project. Buchenau made a post on Facebook announcing Aliaga’s record attempt, unsure of whether or not there would be a government shutdown. The post quickly received thousands of likes and shares. 

When Aliaga made it to the North Rim, nearly 100 supporters cheered him to the finish line. He was warmed by the strangers who told him how much of an inspiration he was, and how they hoped to accomplish such a feat at his age, Buchenau told Backpacker.

“I think he does want to show that you are, to some extent, only as old as you feel,” he said. 

Buchenau thinks it’s likely that there will be other adventures in the near future: 

“He’s already said that he wants to come back next year and do it again,” he said.