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.

Balloons are inflated at the Bristol International balloon fiesta in south west England August 6, 2015. Now in its 37th year, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is Europe's largest annual hot air balloon event in the city that is seen by many balloonists as the home of modern ballooning. (Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters)

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes a photo with supporters John Nelson, 32, (L) and Dan Stifler, 32, (C) after speaking at the UFCW Union Local 324 in Buena Park, California, U.S. May 25, 2016. (Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

Cheerleaders wearing face masks due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are seen at the first professional baseball league game of the season at Taoyuan International baseball stadium in Taoyuan city, Taiwan, April 11, 2020. (Photo by Ann Wang/Reuters)

Rome marks 74th Festa della Repubblica on 2 June 2020. Italy's celebrate the national day, Festa della Repubblica in 2020 with the events for the 74th edition of Republic Day reduced due to the covid-19 crisis. The Frecce Tricolori, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Air Force, popular aeronautical display featuring fighter jets, fly in formation over the centre of Rome, emitting plumes of the three colours from the Italian flag. (Photo by Giuseppe Pino Fama/Pacific Press/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Icelandic horses play on a stud farm in Wehrheim Frankfurt, Germany, as the sun rises on Thursday, May 21, 2020. (Photo by Michael Probst/AP Photo)

Students at Godolphin School, Salisbury, England, receive their A-Level results on Thursday August 13, 2020. Thousands of school-leaving children in Britain have been left distraught after finding out Thursday that they were given lower-than-expected grades, with many questioning how the results were calculated after the coronavirus pandemic cancelled exams key for college applications. (Photo by Russell Sach/The Telegraph)

Ultra Orthodox Jewish men watch a bonfire during the Jewish holiday of Lag Ba-Omer in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbourhood April 27, 2013. Israelis celebrate the Jewish holiday of Lag Ba-Omer, which marks the end of a plague in the Middle Ages that killed thousands of disciples of a revered rabbi in the holy land, by lighting bonfires across the country. (Photo by Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)