Penitentes, or nieves penitentes (Spanish for “penitent-shaped snows”), are a snow formation found at high altitudes. They take the form of tall thin blades of hardened snow or ice, closely spaced with the blades oriented towards the general direction of the sun.

People dodge waves in Sansha Township of Xiapu, southeast China's Fujian Province, July 10, 2015. China is on highest alert as super typhoon Chan-Hom approaches the eastern coast at high speeds. The National Meteorological Center issued a red alert on Friday morning for Chan-Hom, whose center was spotted 550 km southeast off the coast of Zhejiang Province at 5 a.m. (Photo by Jiang Kehong/Xinhua)

A tomtit bird flies past a squirrel running on a fence after a snowfall in a park in Almaty, Kazakhstan, January 12, 2016. (Photo by Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

People look at huge waves crashing on the San Esteban de Pravia seafront, northern Spanish region of Asturias February 8, 2016. (Photo by Eloy Alonso/Reuters)

A train attendant helps a passenger to adjust her seat at the business class carriage on a CRH 380A bullet train Thursday, June 16, 2011. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)

A Chelsea Pensioner poses as he views displays through a floral design of Britain's Queen Elizabeth at the Chelsea Flower Show in London, Britain, May 23, 2016. (Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters)

A masked Kashmiri protester shouts freedom slogan near burning tires set up as road blockade by protesters in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, July 19, 2016. The largest street protests in recent years in the disputed region, that left dozens of people dead and hundreds injured erupted more than a week ago after Indian troops killed a popular young rebel leader. (Photo by Dar Yasin/AP Photo)

Brazil's Victoria Chamorro failed to stop the ball during their women's classification 7th-8th place water polo match against China at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, August 19, 2016. (Photo by Sergei Grits/AP Photo)