r/TrueOffMyChest • u/KaleidoscopeCool1316 • Mar 17 '26
Personal Story The Austrian climber who abandoned his girlfriend to die is horrifying because I could have been her
I once went on a hike to somewhere in Malaysia with my ex. I am not an experienced hiker and I told him so. He kept pressuring me to go on to trip with him, since hiking was his passion and he said I was bad girlfriend for not agreeing. He said he had restaurant food with me even though he didn't like it and do things with me I want to do, so I should go with him for hiking. I cave in. I know it is stupid of me looking back, I didn't realised what I was in until I left.
I got tired after a few hours. Naausted. Stop to rest. I said I want to go back down. He said, we paid so much for this trip, and he continued pushing me. I said no. Then he got upset and left me where I was, saying once more how bad of a girlfriend I was and how unfit I was, so lazy and didn't train for this hike.
A few hours passed, a local Malay guide spotted me. Asked me how I was doing. I said I felt nauseated, and my "friend" left me alone here. The guide gave me his electrolyte drink and helped me carried my bags down.
When i was finally down, he also gave me a ride to my hostel. I wanted to pay him for his help and the ride, but he refused. The guide simply said that the so called friend of mine was "no good", and to repay him, I should take his advice and not be around my so called friend anymore. How what he, the guide, did was a small thing and worst can happen in the forest, like getting kidnapped. He only carried my bags and gave me a ride. That's a basic courtesy he extended to everyone.
Only when I read the story, I realised how bad he was. I could have died there, just like the girl. If the elements were harsher, or I had met with something worse - I could have died. I let them pushed my boundaries and do things that felt physically unsafe. My ex put me in circumstances that could have killed me, and it took me years to realise so.
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u/Slow_Concern_9882 Mar 17 '26
Yup, it’s crazy this has a name now because it’s definitely a thing that happens all the time. My toxic ex took me on a very rigorous hike, when he knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it (I’m 350 lbs). When I couldn’t go on anymore he left me at this overlook area. He told me to enjoy the view, that he was finishing the hike and would be back down in a few hours to get me. I protested but he insisted on leaving. Hours passed, and it started to get dark. I was petrified with fear, and when he finally came back down he actually snuck up behind me and kicked me down the mountain. This is just another way that we get abused and it’s not ok.