A dating term trending on TikTok has daters concerned about a horrifying practice that some experts say is a form of abuse. Fear of abandonment is fairly common. But when weaponized as a tool for ending a relationship in the middle of the wilderness, it is compounded by a potential for dangerous outcomes.
Fears swirl online
Social media is buzzing about the term “alpine divorce.” It happens when a couple explores nature during a hike or camping trip, and “one abandons the other in the wilderness to fend for themselves,” said USA Today. The concept appears to have originated in a late-1800s short story called “An Alpine Divorce” by Robert Barr. The story involves a man who “attempts to murder his wife while the two are out hiking on a mountain.”
Thanks to a viral TikTok video, the phrase has newfound attention. The video, which has more than 19 million views, features the caption: “POV: You go on a hike with him in the mountains, and he leaves you alone by yourself and you realize he never liked you to begin with.” Stories of alpine divorces littered the comment section, as other women shared their experiences of being left alone in the wilderness.
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The renewed interest has also been linked to the recent case of an Austrian mountain climber who was found guilty of gross negligent manslaughter after leaving his girlfriend behind during a hike. Thomas Plamberger abandoned his girlfriend about 164 feet from the summit of the 12,461-foot Grossglockner peak in “high winds without an emergency blanket before she died of hypothermia,” said Outside. His conviction resulted in a “€9,600 (roughly $11,300) fine and a five-month suspended prison sentence.” The incident “sparked intense debates” about alpine divorces and whether the “more skilled climber should be held liable for mountain tragedies or if responsibility rests with the individual climber.”
Future implications
The trend, for many, confirms their “worst fear” of being in an environment where they “don’t have control over what’s going on” and could be “abandoned somewhere,” Stephanie Sarkis, a psychotherapist specializing in narcissistic abuse, said to USA Today. Being in an area you do not know, “where there’s wildlife, where you could easily get lost, especially if it’s unmarked,” is a “real fear for people.”
Alpine divorce’s sudden popularity reflects “broader anxieties about trust, safety and power dynamics in relationships,” particularly in remote or high‑risk settings, said Newsweek. Outdoor safety experts have “long emphasized that hiking and climbing partners share responsibility for each other’s wellbeing,” especially when “experience levels differ.”
Some experts believe there are instances where the practice is excusable. For example, alpine divorce could be warranted if you feel unsafe, Karsten Delap, a professional climber, guide and rescuer, said to Outside. The Austrian courts’ verdict for Plamberger could set a precedent for future cases. The legal decision has “implications for all climbers.” The verdict affirms “if you’re more experienced than your partner, you’re responsible whether you’re a guide or not.”
