A troubling relationship trend known as “alpine divorce” is gaining attention online after going viral on TikTok, raising concerns about safety and emotional abuse. The phrase surged in popularity after TikTok user @everafteriya posted a video on February 18 captioned, “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,” showing a woman crying while hiking alone. The clip has drawn more than 23 million views.
The term originally comes from the short story An Alpine Divorce by Robert Barr, in which a husband plans to push his wife off a cliff in the Swiss Alps. Today, it refers to abandoning a partner in a remote location instead of formally ending a relationship. Experts say the behavior reflects conflict avoidance and emotional manipulation. Divorce attorney John Nachlinger says, “They want to break up but are not mature enough to just be direct about it.” While no data shows LGBTQ+ couples experience this more than heterosexual couples, experts warn anyone can be vulnerable to this dangerous breakup tactic.
