A disturbing new method of breaking up with your partner is doing the rounds on social media, with one expert describing it as people’s ‘worst fear’.
Dating in 2026 comes with countless ways to end a relationship, but a particularly harsh trend gaining attention online is being referred to as an “alpine divorce.”
The word “alpine” usually brings to mind picturesque ski towns and scenic getaways in places like the French Alps — the kind of trip you’d expect to enjoy with loved ones.
In this context, though, the phrase points to something far darker, even if it still involves heading into the mountains with proper hiking kit.
Despite the name, “alpine divorce” isn’t an official term you’ll find in a dictionary. Instead, it’s a social-media-coined label that’s been popping up on platforms including TikTok and Instagram over the past few months.
The idea is straightforward but alarming: someone ends their relationship while on a hike in a remote area — a setting where getting lost, stranded, or placed in danger is a genuine possibility.
Stephanie Sarkis, a psychotherapist who focuses on narcissistic abuse, told US Today that she has encountered several real-world examples of what people are now calling “alpine divorce.”
“For a lot of people, that’s their worst fear: Being in an environment where we don’t have control over what’s going on and being abandoned somewhere,” the mental health expert explained.
“I think we all have a fear of abandonment to different degrees. Being out in an area that you do not know, where there’s wildlife, where you could easily get lost, especially if it’s unmarked, that’s a real fear for people.”
Sarkis also suggested that those who’ve experienced this kind of breakup may later find themselves being held responsible by the person who walked away, adding another layer of emotional harm to an already frightening situation.
“People with a lack of empathy are really into teaching people a lesson,” the psychotherapist went on to say.
“They’re looking for a reason to blame you and they can have a hair trigger temper, so they will just leave and not even consider what your needs are or that they’re abandoning you.”
Although it’s now circulating widely on TikTok, the phrase itself traces back further than social media. It’s linked to Robert Barr, who wrote a story titled An Alpine Divorce.
The story follows a man who chooses to abandon his wife during a hike in the Swiss Alps, leaving her alone in a dangerous and isolating situation — a plot that mirrors the unsettling “trend” being discussed online today.