Alpine Divorce: A Hike That Ends a Relationship

I used to read the yearly accident review publication by the American Alpin Club.

Two very basic facts emerge:

- about a 25% of the accidents they list would not have been accidents if a helmet had been worn

- a significant number of incidents are caused by folks splitting up for some reason

The large point that I've take into later life: there's nothing special about me that exempts me from statistics.

So when I can I wear a helmet while climbing and never split the party in the mountains.

I suspect the "alpine divorce" phenomenon is the same desire to test influence dangerously attempted in a higher stakes environment. "No, let's go to this restaurant" becomes "Let's take this path" or "Let's take a break" and refusal to entertain tests of influence to alter the plan are recast as attempted murder.

https://twitter.com/JamesLNuzzo/status/2037859859585179746

Alpine hiking is a strenuous (by today's standards) and hazardous activity that requires some preparation, is done in relative isolation, demands collaboration from partners, and must be seen-through once started.

It's also sometimes confused by the initiated but perky partners with merely taking a long walk.

These features add-up to a test that may break any relationship.

When the discomfort of the exertion is regarded alongside the common tendencies of co-dependency which attend couples, such as dominance and submission, domestic friction, control issues, boundary issues, resentments, and neuroses are mixed with physical stress disorientation, fatigue, exposure and/or confusion/fear/anger, the challenge might become mortal for the relationship.

The risk is attenuated by couple's typical tendencies towards group-think: over-familiarity and dismissiveness, co-joined planning and reactions, emotionalism, unresolved bones of contention and/or sequestered stresses/alienations that distort a merely risky situation into a life-threatening one.

In more basic terms, undertaking an unguided travel challenge with a mate will lead to trenchant discovery of one's interpersonal limits, and this may include a relationship apocalypse. Such activities are a good test between amorous partners who are considered marriage: if you get along well during an ordeal, you may have what it takes to make a life together. If you don't get along through an ordeal, that's good to know early so you don't overcommit.

Not about Alpine linux, which I would imagine to end a relationship better than some mountains

Honestly this feels like a psyop. Like it's just meant to discourage people from wanting to do outdoors stuff together or going out into nature in general.

I've seen a lot of sensationalist articles lately about getting abandoned on hikes. A tiktok got shared to me about it, just some woman ranting in a touristy outdoors area about how she got ditched. Whose to say that even really happened? Almost certainly just pure engagement bait that's being spun into a "trend".