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Backpacker: Meet the Thru-Hiker Intent on Building Mexico's First Long Trail

After becoming the first Mexican to complete the Triple Crown of hiking, Zelzin Aketzalli dreams of building Baja California’s first thru-trail.

Backpacker: Meet the Thru-Hiker Intent on Building Mexico's First Long Trail

Last updated:
October 20, 2025
|  5 min read

Backpacker: Meet the Thru-Hiker Intent on Building Mexico's First Long Trail

Backpacker: Meet the Thru-Hiker Intent on Building Mexico's First Long Trail

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After becoming the first Mexican to complete the Triple Crown of hiking, Zelzin Aketzalli dreams of building Baja California’s first thru-trail.

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Backpacker: Meet the Thru-Hiker Intent on Building Mexico's First Long Trail

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Meet the Thru-Hiker Intent on Building Mexico's First Long Trail

The journey that Zelzin Aketzalli is on could take 50 years—or even longer—but she’s not daunted. In 2019, she became the first Mexican to complete hiking’s Triple Crown (the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails), and the 31-year-old immediately dreamed up an even more ambitious project: developing the first national trail system in her home country. The inaugural installment is a prospective 1,300-mile trail across Baja California, which Aketzalli has mapped out across a trailless expanse of mountains, desert, canyons, and beach.

Aketzalli says her experiences thru-hiking the Triple Crown helped her discover her true passion for long-distance trekking. Though she was already an accomplished athlete when she logged her first mile on the PCT, she had spent more time on a bike than on her feet.

Continue reading to learn more about Zelzin Aketzalli's journey, written by Julie Schwietert Collazo.

Backpacker: Meet the Thru-Hiker Intent on Building Mexico's First Long Trail

Meet the Thru-Hiker Intent on Building Mexico's First Long Trail

The journey that Zelzin Aketzalli is on could take 50 years—or even longer—but she’s not daunted. In 2019, she became the first Mexican to complete hiking’s Triple Crown (the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails), and the 31-year-old immediately dreamed up an even more ambitious project: developing the first national trail system in her home country. The inaugural installment is a prospective 1,300-mile trail across Baja California, which Aketzalli has mapped out across a trailless expanse of mountains, desert, canyons, and beach.

Aketzalli says her experiences thru-hiking the Triple Crown helped her discover her true passion for long-distance trekking. Though she was already an accomplished athlete when she logged her first mile on the PCT, she had spent more time on a bike than on her feet.

Continue reading to learn more about Zelzin Aketzalli's journey, written by Julie Schwietert Collazo.

Photo thumbnail Blog Author
Freelance Writer
Julie Schwietert Collazo
Julie Schwietert Collazo is a bilingual freelance writer, editor, and translator.
Media Mentions

Backpacker: Meet the Thru-Hiker Intent on Building Mexico's First Long Trail

Meet the Thru-Hiker Intent on Building Mexico's First Long Trail

The journey that Zelzin Aketzalli is on could take 50 years—or even longer—but she’s not daunted. In 2019, she became the first Mexican to complete hiking’s Triple Crown (the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails), and the 31-year-old immediately dreamed up an even more ambitious project: developing the first national trail system in her home country. The inaugural installment is a prospective 1,300-mile trail across Baja California, which Aketzalli has mapped out across a trailless expanse of mountains, desert, canyons, and beach.

Aketzalli says her experiences thru-hiking the Triple Crown helped her discover her true passion for long-distance trekking. Though she was already an accomplished athlete when she logged her first mile on the PCT, she had spent more time on a bike than on her feet.

Continue reading to learn more about Zelzin Aketzalli's journey, written by Julie Schwietert Collazo.

Photo thumbnail Blog Author
Freelance Writer
Julie Schwietert Collazo
Julie Schwietert Collazo is a bilingual freelance writer, editor, and translator.
Media Mentions
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