- Jesse Zurinkas, 15, became the youngest to complete Utah's Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup.
- He finished the 32-mile trail in 35 hours, climbing 18,000 feet in elevation.
- Jesse's preparation involved rigorous training and support from family and friends.
SALT LAKE CITY — Jesse Zurinkas had been hiking all night, and he was exhausted. The last day and night had been spent climbing the grueling Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup trail in Little Cottonwood Canyon. With his motivation dwindling, Jesse remembered why he wanted to continue. If he completed the hike, he would be the youngest person ever documented to complete the climb.
Complete it he did.
Jesse, who is merely 15 years old, broke the record and accomplished an incredible feat on Sunday, Aug. 10. His 35-hour, 32-minute hike took him across more than 18,000 feet of elevation with only a 10-minute nap.
Jesse's accomplishment did not come without immense preparation. Throughout his life, he's always had a connection to nature.
"Both my parents have always been very into the outdoors," the teen explained. "I grew up camping, taking a bunch of river trips and stuff like that. Hiking wasn't always my favorite thing because I thought, 'Why would I go walk for so long?' Until last summer when me and my dad started going out and doing peak-bagging, meaning doing single hikes."
Soon, Jesse caught the hiking bug and began doing longer and longer hikes. In December of 2024, he heard about the Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup hike, known by avid hikers as the "WURL," for the first time. The grueling and technical hike is just over 32 miles and is known for intense sections of roped rock climbing, bouldering and steep ascents. Jesse and his friends began discussing the hike and the current age record, which stood at 17 last summer.
Training began immediately, with Jesse working up to the longer hike.
"I made sure my hikes consisted of lots of ridges, scrambling and stuff like that, since the WURL is not really just a hike, it's like a scramble," he explained. "I'd be doing sections of the WURL and connecting them all."
A scramble is a hiking term given to routes that are essentially a step up from hiking, often requiring hands and moving over steep, rocky terrain. Known for its grueling scrambles and more than 20 peaks, the WURL kept Jesse constantly on his toes. In one of his training sessions, he even experienced an intense period of sickness.
"It was definitely a moment where I was like, 'If this happens to me on the WURL, it'll end it for me,'" he recalled.
Jesse's family and friends, while excited, also experienced intense anxiety for the journey. The dangerous hike especially made his mother, Wendy Zurinkas, nervous.
"I was so nervous from the start and so scared the whole time, but he really made it all happen himself," she said. "His dad and I didn't have to do anything. He just made it happen."
A month before the hike, the previous record was broken by 16-year-old Maverick Dustin. Jesse's older friends, who had also been training to break the record, began to focus on Jesse and helping him break that record. They encouragingly told him in a text message, "It's up to you now."
On the morning of Aug. 10, Jesse began his journey through the mountains. With food stashes already prepped by him earlier, he wouldn't have any food or supplies brought to him for the next 30-plus hours. His unique food approach also stood out, as most aiming to complete the WURL receive food throughout.
He began trekking around Little Cottonwood Canyon, starting with Ferguson and taking him through Alta, the Devil's Castle and over 20 different peaks. Jesse's dad Chad Zurinkas, brother Eddie Gerritsen, and some of his friends would accompany him at various points to ensure he was safe.
He used food supplies he had stashed, mainly consisting of energy gels and carbohydrates, and the water he carried on his back to keep him fueled throughout the journey. A small tent also provided him a chance to take a 10-minute nap.
I learned that if you put enough work into your goal that you can complete it.
–Jesse Zurinkas
When night fell, Jesse had to fight to stay awake and alert to avoid injuries and make it through the hike.
"The night section was definitely the most difficult part for me. It felt like a very weird feeling. Everything felt like it was in slow motion, and it didn't feel like I was actually in my body," he explained. "It was definitely way more daunting in the night."
With the morning came a fresh burst of energy and new hope. He was approaching the final stretch of his journey.
When he finally finished, his family and friends awaited him, including his mom — with tears of joy. He had become the youngest person to ever finish the hike.
"It didn't even feel real yet. It just felt like I had done another hike," Jesse said. "The emotions didn't really catch up to me at that exact moment. I don't even know how to describe it. But, yesterday was when it hit me … I was definitely stoked."
At the mere age of 15, he knew he had done something special.
"My age was definitely more of a motivator than an intimidator for me," Jesse said. "The record got brought down a year last summer, so I knew this was my last chance."
Jesse's time with the WURL has encouraged him to continue in the outdoors.
"You always hear that you can accomplish your goals if you put in enough effort. But, this really actually helped me understand that because it was a very distant thing," he said. "Even at the beginning of the summer, I didn't know if it would really happen. I put in lots of effort, and it was just a dream, and then, boom, it happened. I learned that if you put enough work into your goal that you can complete it."
Jesse plans to make a YouTube video with the GoPro footage he took on the trail. He hopes to show people what the journey was like and inspire others to follow their goals.
