(F.R.I.E.N.D.S. fans know what we’re talking about).

Gen Z seems to have a word for everything, ghosting, orbiting, breadcrumbing, soft-launching, and hard-launching!  With the rise of social media and yeah, commitment issues, comes a new term, “Alpine divorce.”

While most of these buzzwords describe ambiguous situations in relationships, this one actually describes a partner abandoning someone physically. Yes behen, no joke. 

It does not sound romantic at all, well, because it isn’t. (CRYING xd). 

Alpine Divorce, what is this new crazy Genz term? 

An alpine divorce is when one partner will purposefully abandon the other while on a hike, mountain climb, or wilderness trip, typically in remote or precarious areas, instead of ending things through conversation.

(Baat karne me maut aati hai final ke bhi final boss).

The abandonment will typically occur in the middle of an activity. For example, one partner may walk far ahead and not come back to check in with their partner. Some couples will drive away and leave their partners behind, while others will start arguments during technical climbs and then disappear.

The location of these events is important. The abandonment typically occurs in desolate areas, such as the summit of a mountain, an unlabeled trail, in freezing weather, at high altitudes, and in areas where cooperation between both partners is equal to safety.

This does not represent a metaphorical distance but instead a physical distance! 

Where did it come from? 

This phrase became viral after a TikTok video garnered millions of views. The video featured point of view shots of hiking trails along with text that read: “POV: you are on a hike with him in the mountains and he leaves you alone by yourself – and you figure out he never liked you in the first place.”

In the comments, there weren’t any comments expressing disbelief, but women expressed that they had gone through similar experiences. (Oh, my faith in humanity just went *poof*) 

Many women commented that this type of behavior seemed prevalent enough to deserve a name.

Women on X and Threads shared similar experiences as well. One user wrote that “the scariest thing in the woods is not a wild animal, it’s a man.” Another user said that this trend reminded her of why she feels safer when not in a relationship. This is exactly how ‘alpine divorce’ has materialized.

Mental health experts have warned of the term ‘alpine divorce’ being treated as a dating ‘trend’. Psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis specializes in narcissistic abuse and said that it is immensely traumatic.

And we mean, of course it is, imagine Bunny not completing the Bhairav mandir trek with Naina, but instead abandoning her alone after the whole mai udna chahta hoon monologue. How messed up is that? 

A partner’s abandonment in the wilderness can provoke primitive fear reactions because humans are evolutionarily programmed to move together in groups for safety and survival in wilderness regions; separating from one’s partner forces that person into danger due to lack of safety while vulnerable. When a partner creates danger by abandoning their partner or removing safety, they invoke emotional and physical risks associated with abandonment in the wild. 

Survivors often experience feelings of humiliation, helplessness, and betrayal regardless of whether there are any injuries present.

Guy did what? Redditors share INSANE stories 

Reddit threads and other social media platforms also show trends and consistency in behaviours indicative of this cruelty and danger.

A woman described hiking with a man that stated he liked when she walked behind him as an indicator that she was submissive. She immediately cut off contact with him! Good call, lady. 

Another woman described that during every backpack trip with her ex-husband, he would always put speed and miles ahead of her safety by continually asking if they could move faster. She was extremely physically active, but her ex had never cared to check on her condition or how well she was doing with her asthma.

The owner of a Colorado outdoor shop has so much experience with this behaviour within the hiking club community that she refers to men guilty of this behaviour by a nickname that is known to most locals. She recalls an encounter with a man hiking with a young woman who had lost her boyfriend while hiking.

Another woman had a frightening experience where she was taken on a motorcycle ride to the top of a mountain at nighttime, abandoned, and had to wait there before he came back to get her.

The stories all portray the act of abandoning a person at the top of a mountain as a way for the man to show control, and that Yeah, who’s the man? 

The Origins of the Term

The term “Alpine divorce” was derived from an 1893 short story entitled “An Alpine Divorce” written by Robert Barr. The plot of the story involved a husband who wanted to kill his wife while they were vacationing in the Swiss Alps.

Modern slang usage will borrow from this imagery of abandonment from the short story and the symbolism here is still relevant. Abandoning someone at the top of a mountain symbolizes betrayal.

The Evidence of Actual Consequences Related To Abandonment

These stories took on a new dimension after an incident that happened at a real mountain. According to a news story that appeared in Outside Online, a 37 year-old man named Thomas Plamberger was convicted of grossly negligent manslaughter after abandoning his girlfriend while out on a technical climb on Austria’s Grossglockner.

He allegedly abandoned her approximately 50 meters below the summit during strong winds without an emergency heat source to keep her warm. A short time later, the girlfriend died from hypothermia, the park rangers levied fines against Mr. Plamberger and he received a suspended sentence for the crime.

This tragic case demonstrates that abandoning someone in the mountains can have serious consequences for both parties involved.

Gen Z does not create behaviours but instead gives them a name, a meaning and a cool association. That is dangerous and how! 

By calling the trend known as “alpine divorce,” young people are changing the view of abandonment as being a sign of failure to a red flag indicating character deficiencies.

We guess that’s the new normal?