“Truth,” as Lord Byron famously said, “is stranger than fiction” — and sometimes as disturbing as a gothic crime tale.
An idea once known mostly as a 19th-century short story — “An Alpine Divorce” by Scottish-Canadian author Robert Barr — has gained sudden social media attention for its apparent real-life version.
In the story, John Bodman, a wealthy businessman in an unhappy marriage, “reached a state of mind in which he resolved to get rid of his wife at all hazards.” He plots her murder, planning to shove her from a vertiginous overlook while they vacation in a remote part of the Swiss Alps.
A dark, satirical thriller, deeply cynical about marriage and human nature, the original story ends with a chilling, ironic twist. (No spoilers here!)
But now, over 100 years after the story’s publication, the term “Alpine Divorce” is suddenly trending due to recent incidents with eerie echoes of the fictional piece.
What is an Alpine Divorce?
Today, as rumors of a sinister practice emerge from the social media shadows, gaining mainstream attention, the term “Alpine Divorce” (and its social media counterpart #alpinedivorce) have come to refer to ending a marriage or relationship by taking a partner into the mountains or wilderness, breaking up with them, and then deserting them there — either leaving their fate up to nature and chance, or deliberately planning and “orchestrating their demise,” according to a Feb. 25th Daily Dot/ Yahoo News article entitled, Men are allegedly abandoning women on hikes, sparking discussion of the “Alpine divorce”
Earlier in February, the article says, TikToker @everafteriya posted a video, in which she seems to be crying, claiming her boyfriend had taken her hiking and then left her behind, demonstrating that “he never really liked” her.
The post quickly went viral — comment sections filling up with outraged users, alleging that this is a known practice with a name, “alpine divorce,” and that it’s common enough that there are online support groups for survivors.
Although @everafteriya later clarified (sort of) that the man she was hiking with “wanted to get to the top of the mountain before other people on the trail, so he said let’s run,” related posts by women recounting similar experiences and fears have generated millions of views, sparking both fear and impassioned conversations about divorce, cowardly or sinister break-up tactics, gendered violence, trust in relationships, knowing how to survive in the wilderness, and more.
And of course, it comes in the context of a decade — from # MeToo to the current Epstein file debacle — of what feels like constantly unfolding revelations about predatory behavior, violence against women, secret cabals of men enabling and protecting men, and a truly horrifying lack of accountability.
While it remains unclear how prevalent a problem so-called alpine divorce is, this viral moment comes against the backdrop of a very real, recently decided case.
According to the BBC, “An Austrian climber has been found guilty of gross negligent manslaughter after his girlfriend froze to death on Austria’s highest mountain last year.”
The defendant, Thomas P, named in the case, in accordance with Austrian privacy law, was climbing Grossglockner in January 2025 with his girlfriend, Kerstin G. A far less experienced mountaineer, she was unable to keep up in the extreme winter conditions the couple encountered. At some point, she became too distressed to continue, yet the defendant pressed on toward the summit without sending a distress signal. He later called the police, but the details of his call are disputed.
In court, he pleaded not guilty.
The condition in which Kerstin G was found by the rescue-recovery team raised some questions about Thomas P’s account. The deceased’s body was “hanging upside down from a rock face,” suggesting she may have had a fall, the BBC said.
The judge, himself an avid climber, found that the defendant had “misjudged the situation,” but had not deserted his girlfriend “wilfully”. “I don’t see you as a murderer, I don’t see you as cold-hearted,” the judge said.
However, Andrea B, a former girlfriend of Thomas P, testified that on a 2023 climbing trip to the same mountain, he had also left her alone, feeling ill, with her headlight not working, crying and screaming as he went ahead without her.
If the idea of “alpine divorce” resonates with you — whether literally or metaphorically — it may be time to pause and assess your safety and your future. At SFLG, our family law attorneys understand that leaving a high-conflict or toxic relationship requires both courage and a clear strategy. We help clients create thoughtful exit plans, secure protective orders when necessary, safeguard financial stability, and navigate custody issues with safety at the forefront.
By Debra Schoenberg
