What is 'Alpine divorce'? All about grim breakup trend going viral

Although the phrase has circulated widely in recent weeks, its roots appear to date back more than a century.

A term described online as “Alpine divorce” has attracted growing attention across social media platforms, following a series of viral posts in which women alleged they had been left behind by partners during hiking trips.

The phrase does not refer to any recognised legal process. Online users have used it to describe an alleged practice in which one partner abandons the other in remote mountainous terrain, sometimes during a hike, leaving them to navigate potentially dangerous conditions such as low temperatures, isolation and difficult landscapes.

The imagery associated with the expression draws on high-altitude Alpine environments, where severe weather and challenging terrain can present genuine risks. Social media discussions describe the idea as grim and largely fictional in origin, rather than an established or formally documented method of ending a relationship.

Literary origins:

Although the phrase has circulated widely in recent weeks, its roots appear to date back more than a century. One early reference is found in An Alpine Divorce, an 1893 short story by Robert Barr, in which an unhappy husband plots to kill his wife during a trip to the Swiss Alps. That fictional narrative is often cited by users as the earliest known use of the expression.

It remains unclear precisely when the literary reference began to be repurposed in modern slang.

Viral posts and online reaction:

Recent discussion intensified after a woman posted on TikTok alleging that her boyfriend left her alone during a mountain hike. The video, shared by user @everafteriya, featured point-of-view footage from the trail and included the caption: “POV: you go on a hike with him in the mountains but he leaves you along by yourself and you realize he never liked you to begin with”.

This tiktok came up on my FYP and it has 4.4 million views. Apparently men abandoning their partners on a hike or in the wilderness is so common it has a name: alpine divorce. Comments are filled with stories.

Things like this snap me back into why being single is perfectly ok. pic.twitter.com/RmiqJXwPan —(@californiabarby) February 23, 2026

In the comments, some viewers referenced “Alpine divorce” and shared accounts of similar experiences.

In a subsequent explanation, @everafteriya stated that the man she was hiking with had said he “wanted to get to the top of the mountain before other people on the trail, so he said let’s run.” She added that he ran ahead at a faster pace, resulting in the two becoming separated. Her description of events has not been independently verified.

The discussion spread to other platforms, including X. One user, posting under the handle @hell_line0, wrote: “Just saw a TikTok of a girl whose boyfriend abandoned her during a hike in the woods. 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 what is wrong with men??? Why would you ever consider abandoning someone that way? I’m mortified.”

Just saw a Tiktok of a girl whose boyfriend abandoned her during a hike in the woods. 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… — Maryam (@hell_line0) February 24, 2026

Another user commented: “Apparently men abandoning their partners on a hike or in the wilderness is so common it has a name: alpine divorce. Comments are filled with stories.”

A further post described a personal experience in the Scottish Highlands: “This is a video of me hiking in the Scottish Highlands trying to make the best out of my trip while the guy I was in a situationship with was miles ahead of me.”

So we’re talking about “alpine divorces” on here? I guess that’s happened to me before 7 years ago. This is a video of me hiking in the Scottish Highlands trying to make the best out of my trip while the guy I was in a situationship with was miles ahead of me. pic.twitter.com/zsY5vzPu1M

— isha (@MibshaD) February 26, 2026

Alongside these accounts, other videos have circulated in which women claim they were left behind on hiking trips by boyfriends or husbands.

The men in the comments are finding ways to make it seem like this is not a gendered crime but just a teeny tiny flaw in this particular man's character. IF IT WALKS LIKE A GENDERED CRIME. IF IT TALKS LIKE ONE. IT IS A GENDERED FUCKING CRIME. https://t.co/LfbsKmT4hm — Neighaarika (@Intsabbatical) February 24, 2026

i’m never hiking with a man https://t.co/fYLNslrNO1

— February 24, 2026

Documented case in Austria

While much of the online discussion centres on personal allegations that have not been independently substantiated, at least one fatal incident involving abandonment in mountainous terrain has been reported in recent months.

Earlier this month, an Austrian climber was convicted of manslaughter after leaving his girlfriend, who was described during proceedings as less experienced, on the Grossglockner in January 2025. She later died from hypothermia. During the trial it emerged that he had previously left another girlfriend in a similar situation two years earlier; she survived.

The case has been cited by some online users as evidence that abandonment during hikes can have serious consequences.