MJ calls what happened to her in Zion national park “small ‘T’ trauma”. She knows women have experienced worse from their partners. But she still feels the anger of being left behind on a hike by her now ex. “It brings up stuff in my body that maybe I have not cleared out yet,” she said.
Five years ago, MJ and a new partner – he was not exactly her boyfriend, and the pair were not exclusive – traveled from Los Angeles to Utah for an adventure getaway. MJ, who is 38 and works in PR, was looking forward to exploring Zion’s striking scenery; its vast sandstone canyon and pristine wading trails were on the list. But on the morning of their big hike, MJ was not feeling well. She could not shake the feeling that something was “off”; indeed, MJ would learn on this trip that her partner was seeing other women.
As they made their way up Angel’s Landing, MJ’s partner started walking faster than her. “I could tell it was getting on his nerves that I was slow,” she said. “I was like, ‘Fuck it, just go ahead of me.’” He did without hesitation.
When she caught up at the top of the mountain, they took a picture together. Then her partner hiked down the mountain with a woman he had met on the way up, leaving MJ to finish by herself. They broke up shortly after that trip. (MJ asked to be referred to by her initials for the sake of speaking openly about a past relationship.)
Last month, MJ opened TikTok and heard the phrase “alpine divorce”, a label she now attaches to her experience in Zion.
How many women have to tell similar stories before you believe that it’s a thing that happens frequently enough for there to be a whole article written about it?
Im not saying they should not write and article about it Im saying it should not title itself like it its some sort of thing. Something along the lines of. The stories of women who have encountered the unthinkable. Abandoned in the wilds.
The title ends in a literal question that the author then goes on to explain.
It is a thing. It’s a demonstrable thing where men leave their partners while on a hike. There may be multiple reasons for it, but it does happen.
Im not arguing it does not happen just that it does not happen that often. Its not a craze sweeping the globe. Its something that has happened. There are likely far more prevalent things that don’t get a name or recognition. Did you even get the reason I put down how common things that are considered very uncommon are?
Why are you dying on this hill?
Why does it bother you for women to share these stories?
So any time somone does not change their mind to someone else its dieing on a hill. What do you keep repeating false things like bothering me for the stories being shared or not believing it. My problem is with the title and making things like they are bigger than they are. Women have been abandoned by their partners on hiking trails but women are not being abandoned by their partners on hiking trails as a common occurence. Think of it this way. Would it make sense to have an article go through some of the cases of men being poisoned and title it? Men are being murdered by their partners. Whats behind the poisoners divorce.
There are lots of articles and coverage about women poisoning their husbands before no fault divorce was enacted.
Authors and journalists are allowed to write about whatever they want. You don’t have to read it.
again. its the title.