‘Alpine Divorce’ Trend Highlights Hikers Abandoned in Remote Mountains
Women on TikTok and Instagram describe partners leaving them in dangerous mountain terrain, while experts say the behavior often reflects impatience and low empathy.
- The hashtag "alpine divorce" has exploded on TikTok and Instagram in recent months as women share traumatic experiences of partners abandoning them in remote mountain settings. Coined in an 1893 short story by Scottish Canadian writer Robert Barr, the term describes a partner, typically male, leaving a less experienced companion alone in dangerous terrain.
- A high-profile case in Austria earlier this year fueled the conversation after a climber named Thomas P. was convicted of manslaughter for abandoning his girlfriend on Grossglockner, the country's tallest mountain. Prosecutors accused him of ignoring rescue calls despite having phone signal.
- In 2016, California hiker Laurie Singer set out on the John Muir Trail through the Sierra Nevada with a male friend who had more experience. Days into the expedition, Singer fell ill with altitude sickness, yet her companion refused to slow his pace, leaving her to struggle alone.
- Behavioral psychologist and relationship coach Jo Hemmings told CNN that perpetrators commonly exhibit avoidant attachment styles, distancing themselves under stress rather than addressing conflict. She noted abandonment can range from impulsive decisions to premeditated acts of malice.
- After her ordeal, Singer advises hikers to prioritize self-reliance: "No matter how much you think you know the person you're hiking with, you should always be self-reliant." Her warning reflects a broader vulnerability many women face in remote settings.
17 Articles
17 Articles
The hashtag "alpine divorce" has flooded social networks like TikTok and Instagram in recent months, where many women share traumatic, sometimes life-threatening experiences. What does this term actually mean and why does it happen that close people leave us in potentially risky situations?
By Sophie Tanno, CNN The label “alpine divorce” has gained widespread social media coverage such as TikTok and Instagram in recent months, with many women sharing traumatic experiences, sometimes life-threatening. The term is used to describe a situation during a walk or other outdoor activity, in which a person, usually a man, abandons his partner, usually less experienced and more vulnerable, in a remote and potentially dangerous environment.
A climber left his girlfriend to die on Austria’s tallest mountain, other stories of ‘Alpine divorce’ emerging
The hashtag alpine divorce has exploded on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram in recent months, with many women sharing traumatic, sometimes life-threatening experiences.The term is used to describe an event during a hike or other outdoor adventure, when one partner, usually male, abandons the other, who is typically less experienced and more vulnerable, in a remote and potentially dangerous setting.Conversation has in part been dr…
A climber left his girlfriend to die on Austria’s tallest mountain. Now other stories of ‘Alpine divorce’ are emerging
The hashtag ‘alpine divorce’ has exploded on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram in recent months, with many women sharing traumatic, sometimes life-threatening experiences.
Rome, April 26, 2026 "We talk more and more about the 'Alpine Divorce', a term that is climbing the rankings of trends on social media, passing from obscure literary quote of the 19th century to viral phenomenon on TikTok and Instagram. However, it is not a new fashion related to high-altitude well-being, but an expression used to describe a traumatic and potentially lethal experience: the abandonment of a partner, usually less experienced or in…
Historier om kvinner som blir forlatt av kjæresten sin på fjellet florer på nett. Hva er "alpine divorce" , og hvorfor skjer det?
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