WIDE IMAGE: Warmer winters have left the Pakistan Festival on thin ice

The pool in front Aleena Gul’s house, in Pakistan’s Hunza Valley, has been transformed into an ice skating rink every winter since the 1960s, with the jagged Himalayan mountains and the stone walls at Altit Fort as a backdrop.

This year it didn't.

Gul's bedroom allows her to see the pool, which doubles as an arena for hockey.

She would wake up every morning at dawn and lace her skates before stepping out of her front door straight onto solid ice.

She returned to playing after four years of university but is still waiting for winter.

"There is a huge difference between 2018 and today," said?Gul. She's 21, the captain of her Hunza team, and one of the first Hunza women to take up this sport. "Winter used to start in November, and everything would freeze. The ice hasn't properly frozen yet, and it's now January.

Winters in the northern mountains of Pakistan are becoming more unpredictable and arriving later. The cold spells are shorter and the freeze-thaw cycle is more unpredictable. Scientists in the Hindu Kush and Himalayan regions report fewer extreme events of cold, shorter snow seasons. Locals refer to this as a "snow-drought" when snow does not settle.

Hunza is a place where the change can be seen. WeatherWalay's climate analytics platform compiled data that shows the average winter precipitation is down about 30% in the last few years. This represents four consecutive years of below-normal precipitation. Recent winters were also milder by 2-3degC, which means there was less snow to support the ice.

Hunza's tournament is entirely dependent on natural ice, unlike resorts in Europe that have artificial snow.

Winter sports are now dependent on weather patterns that do not follow the old rhythms in a valley that is heavily reliant on tourism.

Ice Under Pressure

Altit's Pool has been hosting the Karakoram Interlude for eight seasons. This community-run tournament attracts teams from all over northern Pakistan, and extends tourist season past summer.

In good years the rink is lit up by floodlights and spectators are seen leaning on stone parapets with tea cups in their hands, as they exhale white clouds. The rink was prepared as usual, with water being poured at night, and the surface smoothed by hand, to allow temperatures below -20degC.

Gul explained, "We tried to freeze it until 3 in the morning." "We're trying everything we can."

Sadiq Saleem is a 31-year-old founding member of SCARF and president of Altit Town Management Society. He was the first to introduce ice hockey into the valley.

The blades that scratched the surface of the ice left thin puddles. Under the surface, hairline cracks appeared. Organisers pressed palms against the ice to listen for cracks and check for flex.

"We spent a whole week building this arena," said Naseer, 34, cofounder of SCARF. "But the sun was so strong that it destroyed everything."

Under floodlights the opening ceremony was held, but organizers warned that the rink is too fragile to accommodate entire teams.

The thinning ice made it necessary for only captains to reveal the jerseys alongside sponsors.

The opening night friendly game has been cancelled.

COLD CHASING

It was not possible to debate the weather.

In just a few hours, organizers had moved through Altit’s lanes, calling out to players and knocking at doors. The tournament was relocated nearly two hours to the north, in Sost. This is one of the last Pakistani towns before the Chinese border. Colder air provided better chances of ice.

This was not the first time they had done it.

The ice in Sost remained firm when, two winters ago the pool at Altit failed to freeze. Sost is located about 2,800 metres above sea level, roughly 300-400 metres higher than Altit.

This year too, the solution failed.

Gul felt like he was chasing after a season who kept regressing.

The rink in Sost was located on a valley floor exposed to the wind near the Khunjerab pass, under steep, wind-cut mountains that funneled cold air from higher elevations.

While the surface of this pool was more firm than Altit’s, there were still thin areas. The players tested the surface before they put their weight on it.

On the first day, three matches were scheduled. One match was played.

Gul stated that "the ice was not in good condition when we arrived at the rink." "Teams played on, but it was difficult. "We've never seen anything like this before."

The blades of the skaters caught unexpectedly where the ice cracked and softened.

Every evening, organizers would pour water on the ice, hoping that the temperatures overnight would freeze it.

Saliha Ibrahim, a 21-year-old member of the organizing team, said that "our event relies entirely on natural ice." If we cannot improve the surface we may need to change the venue.

Winter can't pay the bills

Not only players feel the pressure.

Winters are unpredictable in cafes, guesthouses and transport operators. The pipes in smaller guesthouses, without heating, freeze and cut off the water. They then thaw, and refreeze unpredictably. This increases the risk of costly repairs and bursts.

As temperatures rise, fewer and fewer regions are able to host winter sports.

Residents of Hunza -- a district with fewer than 100,000 residents -- are faced with a'reality that is without artificial snow, refrigeration systems, or certainty.

Hunza's winter is quieter than its summer, but residents claim that erratic snowfall and flooding, as well as impassable roads, deter tourists who want to see the snow-covered peaks or frozen lakes. This was before the Karakoram Interlude began attracting travellers from all over Pakistan.

Naseera Khatoon owns Murku Cafe in Altit, which overlooks the pool. Her daughter, ?Arifa, plays ice hockey. In the past, tournament week brought steady business, as families would linger long after matches were over to enjoy traditional soups and dumplings.

Her cafe was quiet this year, despite her participation in the ceremony.

"We usually earn money during the tournament," she said. "This time there was very little."

She recalls the winters of her childhood when heavy snowfall closed schools for several months, and families would store food to prepare for long cold spells.

She said, "We used store food and dry vegetables because the roads would be closed [in winter]." "Now, food is available all year round. However, the snow and ice have disappeared."

Kareem Ul Hayat, the?supervisor of the restored 900 year-old Altit Fort said that winter tourism has grown because events such as ice hockey have attracted visitors. He said that numbers have declined in recent winters.

He said, "In the old days, the mountains were always white." "Now, the snow is disappearing quickly."

Title on Thin Ice

The tournament continues in Sost.

The players adapted their game to the new conditions. The wind blew hard against the scarves of spectators.

Yahya Karaim, a 20-year-old player from Altit said that the surface was different than anything they had ever trained on.

He said, "I was expecting better ice conditions but I was a little sad when I saw the skating rink." "Many players fell." "The surface was too bumpy and weak."

They chased the winter north. Even there, however, the cold was elusive.

Gul's team won on a fragile, scarred ice rink far away from home. Reporting by Ariba and Salah in Hunza Valley Pakistan; Editing and production by Saad, Lucy, and Kate Mayberry.

(source: Reuters)