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.

South African model Candice Swanepoel walks the runway at the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on November 8, 2018 at Pier 94 in New York City. (Photo by Matt Baron/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A group of volunteers dressed as elves and a man dressed as the grinch take part in a Christmas celebration organised by the NGO “Unos Venezolanos” in the neighbourhood of Petare, in Caracas, Venezuela on December 21, 2022. (Photo by Gaby Oraa/Reuters)

A fire show lit up Mayfair on May 10, 2022 to celebrate The Ivy Asia arriving at its newest central London location. Reservations have now opened for the new dining venue in North Audley Street ahead of its launch on May 31. (Photo by Handout via PA Wire Press Association)

Thousands gather to rally for marriage equality ahead of a national postal survey on September 10, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. The High Court handed down its decision on Thursday to allow the government's proposed postal ballot survey to go ahead. Ballots with the question “Should the law be changed to allow same-sеx couples to marry?” will be sent to households across Australia on September 12. (Photo by Jonny Weeks/The Guardian)

Australia’s Hannah Fredericks competes in the women’s 200m backstroke heats during the Australian Swimming Trials at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre on June 13, 2024. (Photo by David Gray/AFP Photo)

Football Soccer, France vs Iceland, EURO 2016, Quarter Final, Stade de France, Saint-Denis near Paris, France on July 3, 2016. Iceland fan. (Photo by Carl Recine/Reuters/Livepic)

Pierre Thivillon (R), director of the zoological park of Saint-Martin-La-Plaine and his wife Eliane look at Digit, an 18-year-old female gorilla, on August 19, 2016, in Saint-Martin-La-Plaine between Lyon and Saint-Etienne, southeastern France. The zoological park of Saint-Martin-La-Plaine is a shelter for beasts seized by the justice. (Photo by Philippe Desmazes/AFP Photo)