US EditionA Climber Left His Girlfriend to Die on Austria’s Tallest Mountain. Now Other Stories of ‘Alpine Divorce’ Are Emerging
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, with women sharing traumatic experiences of partners abandoning them in remote mountain settings. Coined in an 1893 Robert Barr short story, the term describes when one partner, typically male, leaves a more vulnerable companion alone in dangerous terrain.
- A high-profile case in Austria earlier this year fueled the conversation after a climber named Thomas was convicted of manslaughter. Prosecutors accused Thomas of abandoning his girlfriend on Grossglockner, the country's tallest mountain, while failing to send distress signals despite having phone signal.
- In 2016, California hiker Laurie Singer set out on the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada with a male friend who had more experience. After falling ill with altitude sickness, Singer said, "I couldn't really keep up with him because of the altitude sickness I was experiencing." Her companion did not slow his pace.
- Behavioral psychologist and relationship coach Jo Hemmings told CNN that perpetrators commonly exhibit avoidant attachment styles, emotionally distancing themselves under stress. Hemmings noted abandonment ranges from impulsive, in-the-moment decisions to premeditated malice, with perpetrators often lacking empathy and preferring to remove themselves from conflict.
- After her traumatic ordeal, Singer advises hikers to prioritize self-reliance regardless of how well they know their companions. "No matter how much you think you know the person, you should always be self-reliant," she said, cautioning that trust alone cannot guarantee safety in remote, potentially dangerous settings.
15 Articles
15 Articles
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?
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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