The term 'Alpine Divorce' originates from an 1893 short story by Robert Barr titled 'An Alpine Divorce', according to major media reports. The trend has gained traction on social media, with a TikTok video by user @EverAfterIya showing her crying on a hike after being left by her partner, amassing 19 million views. In the video, she says, 'POV: You go on a hike with him in the mountains, but he leaves you alone by yourself and you realize he never liked you to begin with.' X users expressed shock and criticism, with one writing, '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???'
In a real-life case, climber Thomas Plamberger was charged with manslaughter after leaving his girlfriend Kerstin Gurtner on Austria's highest mountain, where she froze to death, major media reports. Plamberger left Gurtner at 2 a.m. on January 19, 2025. The specific charges beyond manslaughter and the outcome of the criminal case remain unknown.