Ditching a significant other during a hike, also referred to as “Alpine Divorce,” is the latest eyebrow-raising dating trend — with people pointing out the chilling dangers of that move.
The phrase was mentioned in the comments of a TikTok video posted last week, where a woman with the username @EverAfterIya documented herself walking on an outdoor terrain, near rocky mountains. She could also be heard sobbing in the background, where she said she was having the “worst Saturday of [her] life.”
“POV: You go on a hike with him in the mountains, but he leaves you alone by yourself and you realize he never liked you to begin with,” the text over the video, which has 19 million views, reads.
In the caption, the TikTok user questions the connection she thought she had with this man, who allegedly left her alone during their hike. She also said the move felt like a way for him to end the relationship.
“This inner dialogue tends to fuel the feelings of despair, especially when the surrounding beauty draws attention to your loneliness,” she wrote. “While you could have spent this day in a more fulfilling, peaceful environment, instead, you are stuck wrestling with heartache in a breathtaking yet isolating setting.”
In the comments, multiple people have shared their jarring experiences of being abandoned by their partner during a hike, which they called an “Alpine Divorce.”
“This is so common it’s actually referred to as an ‘Alpine Divorce,’” one wrote, while another added: “My boyfriend did this to me. I found another hiker to show me how to get back, then I went home and blocked his number.”
“It happened to me many years ago. I met 2 girls on the mountain and told them what happened, and we walked down together,” a third woman shared. “They wouldn’t let me go alone. I’ll never forget them.”
Many X users were shocked to hear how many women have experienced “Alpine Divorce.” They’re also criticizing men who have left their partners behind on a hike.
“Just saw a TikTok of a girl whose boyfriend abandoned her during a hike in the woods,” a viral post on X reads. “The comments were all about how this is a thing multiple men do. It’s so common it’s called Alpine Divorce, and there are support groups for it….All I can say is wtf is wrong with men??? Why would you ever consider abandoning someone that way? I’m mortified.”
“That’s truly awful. Abandoning someone like that? Incomprehensible male behavior, seriously,” another wrote.
It turns out that the term originates from a sinister 1893 short story called “An Alpine Divorce.” In the story, written by Robert Barr, a man is planning to murder his wife during a visit to the Swiss Alps by pushing her off a cliff.
The “Alpine Divorce” trend has also received traction after climber Thomas Plamberger was charged with manslaughter, after leaving his girlfriend, Kerstin Gurtner, on Austria’s highest mountain before she froze to death.
Plamberger decided to leave her at 2 a.m. on January 19, 2025, and descend to the nearest mountain hut to seek help, only returning six and a half hours later in the morning to find her dead, according to the public prosecutor. Gurtner froze to death alone on the mountain after she was left in -8C temperatures, with winds of up to 45mph contributing to temperatures that “feel” as low as -20C.
Prosecutors are arguing that Plamberger made nine key mistakes that led to his girlfriend’s death, from not planning the expedition properly to failing to make contact with search teams and police.