People climb on an artificial ice-wall in Liberec, about 100 km north of Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, January 23, 2015. The wall was prepared in a former quarry just near the centre of the city. (Photo by Radek Petrasek/CTK via AP Photo)

Japan' s Kaori Sakamoto competes in the women' s single skating short program of the figure skating event during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung on February 21, 2018. (Photo by John Sibley/Reuters)

Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, of the Russian Olympic Committee, compete in the team ice dance program during the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. (Photo by Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)

Russian Orthodox believers take a dip in the ice cold water of a pond during the celebrations of the Orthodox Epiphany holiday, in Moscow, Russia on January 18, 2024. People believe that dipping into blessed waters during the holiday of Epiphany strengthens their spirit and body. (Photo by Yuri Kochetkov/EPA/EFE)

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.

A picture made available on 09 October 2016 shows competitors during a Legion Run event, in Sofiko near the city of Corinth, Greece, 08 October 2016. Legion Run is run covering five kilometres with obstacles of mud, fire, ice and barbed wire, which takes place in different countries around the globe. (Photo by Vassilis Psomas/EPA)

Olaf Niess catches swans on the river Alster near the town hall in Hamburg, Germany, 17 November 2015. The Alster swans are moving to their ice-free winter quarters on the Eppendorf Muehlenteich millpond until spring. (Photo by Bodo Marks/EPA)

Emperor penguins gathered together to keep their chicks warm in these pictures. Marine scientist Frederique Oliver snapped the protective parents in Antarctica as they huddled against the huge winds.The adorable birds have to battle temperatures on -20 degrees Celsius as well as winds of up to 40 knots on the ice. (Photo by Frederique Oliver/Caters News)