Webcam footage at the Grossglockner shows the couple climbing up. foto-webcam.eu
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A new term is making the rounds on social media. Under “Alpine Divorce,” women mostly talk about how they are left behind by their partners while hiking. This discussion started, among other things, with the Grossglockner case.
March 4, 2026, 8:24 p.mMarch 4, 2026, 8:24 p.m
In January 2025, a young woman froze to death on Austria’s highest mountain. Her partner, with whom she was traveling, has now been convicted of grossly negligent homicide because he left his partner defenseless and exhausted below the summit, where she then died.
This is not an isolated case. More and more people – mostly women – are describing similar incidents on social media: you and your partner go on a hike, bike or snowboard, he knows the place better and leaves you alone and exhausted.
“My husband left me on a mountain after I sprained my ankle. He is no longer my husband.”
User on TikTok
This is called “Alpine Divorce” on various social media channels. The term comes from a short story by author Robert Barr. In 1893, the story appeared about an unhappily married man who goes on a hike with his wife in the Swiss Alps and then pushes her off the summit.
Incidents are more than a “break-up trend”
However, various users criticize this term because it is not a harmless “break-up trend”, but – as the Grossglockner case shows – gross negligence that can end in death and is accordingly punishable.
The astonishment and sympathy at how many women have experienced something like this are very great. There is also a lot of discussion about the correct behavior when hiking. These include: taking regular breaks, turning back on time, getting enough energy and staying on official hiking trails. You can find more tips here.