Festival freeze
Warmer winters leave Pakistan's tournament on thin ice
Updated: 2026-03-09 10:12
Every winter for decades, the pool in front of Aleena Gul's house in Pakistan's Hunza Valley transforms into an ice rink, framed by jagged Himalayan peaks and the stone walls of Altit Fort.
From her bedroom, Gul can see the swimming pool that doubles as a hockey arena.
For years, she would wake up at dawn, wear her skates and step onto solid ice.
After staying away at the university for four years, she returned, eager to play again, but found herself waiting for winter to arrive.
"There's a big difference between 2018 and now," said Gul, 21, captain of her team and among the first women in Hunza Valley to take up the sport. "Winter used to begin in November and everything would freeze. It's January now and the ice still hasn't frozen properly."
