Man Leaves Girlfriend Stranded on Mountain So He Won’t Miss Football Game

Some stories start with an apology that does nothing to soften the blow. When a hiker opened his viral confession with “I know this sounds bad but hear me out,” Redditors knew they were in for something unforgettable.

He and his girlfriend had decided to spend a Sunday morning hiking before his beloved Jets game. He made it clear from the start: he’d move fast, she’d need to keep up, and he had to be home by kickoff.

What followed was part farce, part heartbreak – a clash between love, priorities, and a man’s devotion to football. By the end of it, his girlfriend was stranded on a mountaintop, and he was in his car watching the fourth quarter.

But was he really the villain or did both partners push this day toward disaster?

The Mountain That Broke the Relationship

The hiker explained that he was used to challenging trails. His girlfriend, however, wasn’t. Despite his warnings, she insisted on joining, eager to “better herself” and share time with him. Yet, almost immediately, she lagged behind.

Two hours later, they reached the top. Exhausted and angry, she accused him of caring more about football than her. He snapped back that she was being unfair and when she shouted, “You might as well leave me here,” he did exactly that.

“I told her the descent was easier and there were plenty of people around,” he wrote. He then waited in the car, streaming the game on his phone, and greeted her by announcing it was the fourth quarter when she finally arrived.

She hasn’t spoken to him since.

Expert Take: Why This Argument Hit So Hard

Relationship therapist Dr. Laura Berman told The Independent that many couples clash when “one partner uses shared activities to seek connection while the other sees them as a task or inconvenience.”

Psychologist Dr. John Gottman, famed for his research on relationship stability, found that couples who respond to “bids for connection” – small moments when one partner seeks closeness,  tend to stay together. Ignoring or rejecting those bids, even unintentionally, predicts long-term resentment (source: The Gottman Institute).

In this case, her spontaneous decision to join the hike might have been such a bid. His reaction – irritation, control, and eventual abandonment – turned a bonding attempt into a breaking point.

Why Outdoor Arguments Escalate Fast

According to a 2021 National Park Service safety report, nearly 40% of hiking rescues involve hikers underestimating the trail or overestimating their stamina and emotional stress plays a big part.

A 2020 study in Leisure Sciences found that couples who argue during joint physical activities tend to “attribute frustration to their partner rather than to external conditions,” which intensifies conflict.

Simply put, when you’re tired, hungry, and halfway up a mountain, small annoyances feel like betrayals.

The Football Factor: More Than a Game

Sports psychologist Dr. Daniel Wann (Murray State University) has studied fan identity for decades and found that committed sports fans experience “real physiological arousal” during games – similar to being part of the action itself (Journal of Sport Behavior, 2006). Missing a game can feel like missing a personal event.

That explains, but doesn’t excuse, the hiker’s single-mindedness. For him, missing the Jets game was more than inconvenience – it disrupted his weekend ritual, one tied to identity and stress relief.

For her, though, his behavior screamed misplaced priorities. As one Redditor said, “If a football game matters more than your girlfriend’s safety, maybe she needs to hike away from you permanently.”

The Other Side: Was She Also Wrong?

Some commenters argued that the girlfriend bore some responsibility. She ignored his clear warnings, insisted on a fast-paced climb, and then blamed him when it proved too hard.

“Expecting him to slow down after he was upfront about the conditions wasn’t fair,” one ESH voter wrote. “He could have said no, but she could have listened.”

Still, that doesn’t absolve him. Mature relationships depend on emotional intelligence – recognizing when plans need to change for the sake of care and safety.

These are the responses from Reddit users:

The verdict was swift and almost unanimous:

Others took a safety angle:

A few offered an ESH (Everyone Sucks Here) verdict, arguing that she should’ve respected his timeline and chosen an easier trail. But nearly all agreed that abandoning someone mid-hike crosses a line.

Lessons from the Peak

The girlfriend wanted connection; the boyfriend wanted completion. Both were stubborn. But leaving someone behind – emotionally or physically – is rarely the right call.

Had he slowed down and missed part of the game, he might’ve gained something more valuable than a score: a partner who felt seen, safe, and supported.

As Dr. Berman put it, “In relationships, moments of inconvenience are often the real tests of love.”