It's official: Guinness confirms 92-year-old man's world record Grand Canyon hike

It’s official: Alfredo Aliaga, a delightful 92-year-old who splits his time between Germany and Spain, broke the Guinness World Record in October and became the oldest person to ever hike the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim.

On Oct. 14, 2023, Alfredo, his daughter, son-in-law and two witnesses hiked 24 miles from the North Rim to the South Rim. It was a two-day journey with more than 21 hours of hiking. He was confident he’d broken the record in October, but Guinness made it official this week.

"It was wonderful," Alfredo told FOX TV Stations in October after the hike. "[They’re] all saying, ‘OK, Alfredo! You made it!’ It was really unique."

It wasn’t Alfredo’s first rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike – he’s done it several times and as recently as 2022 – but it was the first with 50 to 100 people waiting at the top to cheer him on. 

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Alfredo walked three hours every day to prepare for the hike. He became a bit of a trail celebrity after his daughter and son-in-law posted on social media asking for volunteer witnesses to meet them on the trail. Toward the end of the hike, Alfredo even had to hide his face to avoid being recognized.

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Alfredo Aliaga (Julian Coiner)

Alfredo told Guinness he’d eventually like to break an additional world record title by hiking the Aconcagua, the Chimborazo, or the Cotopaxi. Because as he told FOX TV Stations: "You cannot say, ‘I am too old’ to do things. I am healthy and happy."