91岁登山者成为阿帕拉契亚山径最年长完成者

田纳西州登山者戴尔·桑德斯日前以91岁的年纪完成了阿帕拉契亚山径的全程徒步，成为有史以来完成这条超过2193英里山径的最年长者1。桑德斯于2025年9月6日从乔治亚州Springer Mountain出发，在周一抵达缅因州最高峰卡迪丁山完成这场长途登山挑战1。

这并非桑德斯首次在这项纪录上留名——他曾在2017年以82岁的年纪创造过该纪录，后来该记录在2021年被友人打破1。此次复出挑战，桑德斯在整个旅程中跌倒71次，其中包括6次重摔、1次需要住院治疗以及1次发生在距离终点仅200码处1。他在6月于佛蒙特州中部的Killington Mountain遭遇受伤，之后在8月因妻子的母亲去世返回田纳西州，随后重返山径完成了最后的段落1。

Dale Sanders of Tennessee has set a new record as the oldest person to complete the Appalachian Trail, finishing the grueling 2,193-mile trek on Monday 1. The 91-year-old hiker, who began his journey on September 6, 2025, from Georgia's Springer Mountain, reached Maine's Mount Katahdin to complete the trail 1. Sanders, who goes by the trail name Grey Beard, accomplished this feat despite falling 71 times during the expedition, including six severe falls, one of which required hospitalization and another that occurred just 200 yards from the finish line 1.

This marks Sanders' second record-breaking completion of the Appalachian Trail 1. He previously set the age record in 2017 at age 82, a mark that was later broken in 2021 when MJ Eberhart, known by the trail name Nimblewill Nomad, completed the trail at age 83 1. Sanders' latest achievement reclaims the title at age 91, demonstrating his determination to return and break his own record 1. During his current hike, Sanders faced significant challenges, including a severe injury in June at Killington Mountain in central Vermont, and was forced to return to Tennessee in August following the death of his wife's mother 1. Beyond the Appalachian Trail, Sanders has demonstrated a pattern of athletic pursuits; he paddled the Mississippi River in 87 days at age 87 in 2022 1.