On TikTok, the term “alpine divorce” has gone viral, and many women, including TikToker Lyz Lenz (@lyzlenz), are sharing their stories of alpine divorce.
The phenomenon refers to intentionally leaving a partner behind to fend for themselves in a remote or wilderness setting during a hike or a trip to force separation.
According to experts, this is a form of abuse, and it is surprisingly common. Such behavior can cause extreme mental and physical distress in the abandoned person.
Back in 2022, Lyz was dating a doctor. One day, he asked if she wanted to go on a hike. She agreed, but only if they could stop and get hamburgers afterward.
While they were hiking, he started joking about how fat Lyz would get if she ate hamburgers. Then, he talked about how his mom, who had worked hard and cleaned houses all her life to put him through medical school, was “getting fat.”
He added that his mom would definitely hang up on him if he called to tell her that she was getting too fat. Lyz interjected, saying that his mom had worked so hard her whole life, so she should be able to decide what she eats.
This made him furious, and he stormed ahead of Lyz on the trail, raging about how Americans and women in general are “too fat.” At this point, a jogger passed by them. The jogger overheard Lyz’s date and backed up to silently ask Lyz if she was okay.
That was her cue to end the hike, so she started walking on a shortcut off the trail back to the parking lot. The doctor chased after her, demanding to know where she was going.
She told him that she was going to get a hamburger. Fortunately, she did, and she stopped seeing him after that.
Many women shared their own stories of alpine divorce in the comments section, describing the ways in which they were left stranded.
“My ex-husband left me on a hike because I wasn’t moving fast enough. Eventually, I found my way back. I didn’t realize it then, but I was pregnant,” commented one woman.
“Once, a guy was driving us out of town for my birthday, and he got mad at me for talking about the topic of the podcast we were listening to, saying I was always such a know-it-all. He forced me out of his car and left me stranded in the middle of nowhere,” wrote another.
“Kinda happened to me on a trip with my ex and his family, hiking to a zip line in Costa Rica. I couldn’t keep up. The two male tour guides stayed with me and went at my pace. When I caught up, he didn’t ask if I was okay. Wouldn’t look at me. I was so embarrassed,” added a third.
If you’re concerned about alpine divorce, make sure to have a way of contacting a trusted person or the authorities while out in nature in case of an emergency.
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By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
