Warmer winters leave Pakistan festival on thin ice

A man‑made ice rink under preparation is seen ahead of the Karakoram WinterLude Season 8 ice hockey match, in Sost village in the Gojal area of Upper Hunza Valley, Gilgit‑Baltistan, Pakistan, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

HUNZA VALLEY, Pakistan, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Every winter for decades, the pool in front of Aleena Gul's house ⁠in Pakistan's Hunza Valley has transformed into an ice rink, framed by jagged Himalayan peaks and the stone walls of Altit Fort.

This year, it did not.