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What is ‘Alpine Divorce’? All about the dark dating trend causing waves on social media
A viral social media term, “Alpine divorce,” has sparked debate as users share stories and question the meaning behind the unsettling relationship phrase.
A strange and unsettling term has been gaining attention across social media, “Alpine divorces.” What started as scattered posts has quickly turned into a viral trend, with users sharing bizarre personal stories on it.
What are alpine divorces?
There is no specific definition of the term an alpine divorce. It refers to a method of ending a relationship by abandoning a partner in remote or dangerous mountains, often during a hike. The said partner is leftto face deadly conditions like freezing temperatures or treacherous terrain.
The phrase draws from the imagery of isolated alpine regions where harsh weather and dangerous terrain could make survival difficult. It is described online as a grim and fictional concept rather than a legal or legitimate form of separation.
However, it’s not where the term originated. The concept traces to a 1893 short story "An Alpine Divorce" by Robert Barr where an unhappy husband plots to kill his wife on a Swiss Alps trip. This fictional tale inspired modern slang.
Cases of alpine divorces going viral
Many social media users have shared stories of Alpine divorce and how their boyfriend/husbands left them and abandoned them on the hiking trips.
“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 would you ever consider abandoning someone that way? I'm mortified.” wrote a user.
“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.” wrote another.
And another user told her experience of alpine divorce on the X, “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.”
