Just in time for Valentine’s Day, there's a charming new way for nature lovers to meet — affectionately dubbed “Mountain Tinder.”
Unlike modern dating apps, this version involves no swiping, profiles or carefully angled selfies. Instead, hopeful romantics leave handwritten messages in notebooks placed at mountain summits.
The idea began in 2023 as a light-hearted joke by 29-year-old hiker Thibaud Monney. While climbing the Dent de Broc, overlooking Switzerland’s picturesque Lake of Gruyère, Monney felt a familiar pang of loneliness.
Standing at the peak, he wished he had someone to share the sunset with. On impulse, he wrote a short message in the traditional summit logbook: “I climbed for the sunset — next time, we’ll be two.”
Monney, who works training disabled people in woodworking, later shared the story with colleagues. They jokingly suggested installing “Tinder-style” notebooks on mountaintops, inviting strangers to connect the old-fashioned way. Amused, Monney followed through — and to his surprise, the idea quickly caught on.
And remarkably, it actually works.
Cathy Rotzetter, 58, had grown tired of online dating when she came across a red notebook on the Wandflue peak last October. She left a simple note: “I enjoy relaxed hikes and drinks afterwards.”
A week later, Patrick, also 58, found her message and felt compelled to reply. When they eventually met in an alpine pasture, Cathy recalled laughing, “It was just a beautiful way to meet.”
What began as a joke is now quietly sparking genuine mountain-top romances — no algorithms required.