What Are 'Alpine Divorces'? Women Are Allegedly Being Abandoned By Partners During Hikes — Some With Deadly Consequences

What starts as a romantic mountain getaway can quickly turn into a life-threatening ordeal. Across TikTok, Reddit, and X, women have been sharing harrowing accounts of allegedly being left behind by male partners during remote hikes, a phenomenon that has been widely dubbed the 'alpine divorce'. In some cases, the consequences have reportedly turned deadly.

The term gained attention in early 2026 when Austrian climber Thomas Plamberger was convicted of gross negligent manslaughter after leaving his girlfriend, Kerstin Gurtner, alone on the Grossglockner, Austria's tallest mountain, in freezing conditions. She later died of hypothermia.

Prosecutors accused Plamberger of ignoring calls from mountain rescue services despite having a phone signal, and of failing to send distress signals in time.

The case was made more disturbing by testimony heard during his trial. A former partner testified that Plamberger had abandoned her on the same mountain in 2023, reportedly because he considered her pace too slow. She told the court he would become 'grumpy' if she struggled during a hike.

Where the Term Comes From

The phrase itself is not new. 'Alpine divorce' is derived from a 1893 short story of the same name by Scottish-Canadian writer Robert Barr, in which a husband plots to end his marriage by pushing his wife from a cliff while hiking in the Swiss Alps. The tale ends with a darkly comic twist, but the term's modern resurrection carries real-world weight.

As the Washington Times reported, the phrase is now used more broadly to describe instances in which men leave female companions behind on trails, whether through wilful abandonment, ego-driven pacing, or deliberate cruelty.

Going Viral: The Stories Driving the Conversation

The trend first exploded online after TikTok user @Everafteriya posted a clip on 18 February 2026 that has since amassed more than 30 million views. Filming herself in tears on a rocky mountain path, she described her Valentine's Day hike, which ended when her date raced ahead until she could no longer see him, leaving her to find her own way back alone and distressed.

The video's comment section rapidly filled with similar accounts. One user identified as Ali wrote: '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.' Another commenter added she had been left in a forest and 'had to walk back 2 hours by myself after he drove off.'

On X, a separate woman shared footage of herself hiking the Scottish Highlands alone, writing that the man she had been seeing had raced miles ahead of her without looking back. That post attracted 1.9 million views.

The Psychology: Control, Ego, and the Mountains

Experts say the behaviour is rarely random. According to New York-based therapist Doriel Jacov, who specialises in relationship patterns, outdoor culture, with its emphasis on endurance and stoicism, can amplify existing dynamics of control and ego.

'There's this emphasis on strength, independence and stoicism that is really embedded in the way males are taught to prioritise character traits. Masculinity seems to play a role in how Alpine divorce manifests in real life.'

Behavioural psychologist and relationship coach Jo Hemmings, who spoke to CNN, identified a common profile among those who exhibit this behaviour: the avoidant attachment style. Such individuals emotionally and physically distance themselves from others under stress rather than engaging with the source of tension.

'They are likely to lack empathy and compassion and avoid conflict – preferring to remove themselves,' she said. 'I see this kind of behaviour frequently in my counselling rooms – a partner, most often a man with a female partner, who withdraws under questioning, or may even leave the room or give up on the counselling altogether.'

Hemmings noted that mountainous terrain adds a particularly dangerous dimension. Outdoor activities create an instant hierarchy — who leads, who navigates, who sets the pace — and in that context, racing ahead becomes a physical assertion of power. Where abandonment is premeditated rather than impulsive, she suggested the perpetrator may exhibit traits consistent with a personality disorder.

'I Didn't Want to Die Alone in the Wilderness'

The phenomenon is not confined to romantic couples. The term can apply wherever women are deserted by male figures they trusted, including fathers, brothers, friends, in remote environments.

Californian hiker Laurie Singer, then 56, experienced something she now recognises as an alpine divorce during a multi-week trek along the John Muir Trail in California's Sierra Nevada in 2016. Setting out with a male friend who had promised to plan the food and route, Singer began suffering from altitude sickness within days. Despite her deteriorating condition, her companion pressed ahead.

'He kept going ahead of me and I couldn't really keep up with him because of the altitude sickness I was experiencing,' she said. 'For example, one night, we were hiking into the night. He was so far ahead of me, I was so scared...I would yell his name...I didn't hear anything.'

Singer later discovered her companion had packed insufficient food, apparently having decided to use the hike as an opportunity to lose weight, without informing her.

After more than 150 miles on the trail, she awoke one morning barely able to walk, suffering from swelling of the brain alongside infected blisters. Her companion suggested she split off and find her own way back while he continued. He sent her off with a single energy bar and transferred his rubbish into her rucksack before departing.

'I didn't know how long the trail was, but I did know I needed to get help,' she told CNN. After around eight miles alone on an isolated path, she encountered other hikers who recognised she was in distress, offered her food, and helped her navigate to safety. Her recovery took weeks.

Reflecting on what happened, she said: 'I didn't realise how much a part of the planning process I should have been, but then he took on a role as kind of a sherpa mentor, in a way, and he wasn't. He would just leave people. Who does that?'

Beyond a Viral Moment: Recognising the Warning Signs

Experts warn that the behaviour should be viewed as a potential indicator of deeper abuse patterns, not simply poor hiking etiquette. Several women described feeling pressured to continue hikes despite exhaustion, injury, or dangerous conditions, while others said their partners deliberately walked ahead and ignored obvious distress. In its most extreme form, the dynamic shades into coercive control.

Relationship experts advise paying careful attention to how a partner behaves under physical and emotional stress before embarking on any remote trip together. Red flags include dismissing a companion's stated physical limits, refusing to compromise on pace, and becoming irritable or contemptuous when someone struggles.

Hemmings noted that in most cases the abandonment is spontaneous, triggered by impatience and a failure of empathy, rather than premeditated. But she cautioned that the line between impulsive cruelty and deliberate harm can be difficult to discern from the outside, particularly in remote terrain where the power imbalance is greatest.

How to Protect Yourself: Practical Hiking Safety Advice

• Share your plans. Always tell a trusted friend or family member your route, expected return time, and the name of anyone you are hiking with before setting out.
• Download offline maps. AllTrails and similar apps allow you to save navigation before you lose mobile signal — essential in remote terrain.
• Know your own route. Never rely solely on a partner to navigate. Study the trail map yourself, identify exit points, and understand how long each section takes.
• Carry emergency supplies. Water, energy food, a foil blanket, and a fully charged portable battery should be in your own pack, not your partner's.
• Build physical preparedness separately. Being independently capable reduces your vulnerability should a companion abandon you. Building cardio and strength before remote hikes is practical insurance.
• Trust your instincts. If a partner consistently dismisses your pace, ignores your discomfort, or controls the planning, those behaviours belong on a relationship warning list as much as a hiking checklist.

A Community Response

Women sharing their experiences online have increasingly framed the conversation as a collective safety issue rather than a series of individual mishaps.

Tips on navigation apps, building physical self-sufficiency, and looking out for strangers on the trail have circulated widely. The prevailing message is one of preparation and solidarity.

As Laurie Singer put it, with hard-won clarity: 'No matter how much you think you know the person (you're hiking with), you should always be self-reliant.'