Cerro Catedral – Catedral Alta Patagonia

Cerro Catedral was named for the granite spires that sit atop the mountain and resemble a gothic church. Catedral is also a church for skiers and snowboarders who visit this Bariloche ski resort to worship the snow god! Cerro Catedral Ski Resort (aka Catedral Alta Patagonia) is an incredibly aesthetically pleasing ski resort. The views of “the cathedral” are gorgeous and the vistas across Lake Nahuel Huapi fall into the OMG category.

Ski Bariloche Catedral - Pros and Cons

Pros 

• The Cerro Catedral Ski Resort is large.
• The intermediate terrain is great, and the varied terrain for advanced and expert riders is superb. The slackcountry and backcountry terrain is particularly noteworthy, and some chutes will get the palms sweaty.
• Cerro Catedral Ski Resort is very well developed by South American ski resort standards.
• It is one of just a few South American ski resorts to truly have a village at the base.
• Cerro Catedral Ski Resort offers amazing views, and it’s particularly nice to perch at one of the rustic mountain restaurants and enjoy the vistas.
• Proximity to a major airport and the vibrant town/city of Bariloche is a plus.
• There is a little bit for non-skiers to do.
• Catedral offers some nightlife, or downtown Bariloche really knows how to party.

Cons

• Lift lines are sometimes horrific and completely disorganised. It's worth paying the extra for a fast pass. 
• The slopes are groomed when they feel like it. Ski patrol and service in general also feels disorganised. You have to try and relax and get into the culture!
• Someone had too much Malbec when they designed the trails, and parts of the mountain have lots of traversing zig zagging tracks.

Pro Or Con Depending On Your Perspective

• Lift passes are more expensive than other Argentina ski resorts, but you get plenty of infrastructure for your money. For international visitors, the Argentine peso is often weak so it may seem inexpensive anyhow.
• The Cerro Catedral snow is generally very good at the top and crap at the base. All too frequently, the base area is devoid of snow. 
• The lift infrastructure is good by South American standards, yet there are not enough fast lifts to move the traffic.

Catedral Ski and Snowboard Terrain

At 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres), Cerro Catedral has the largest lift accessed ski terrain in South America (despite Chapelco coming up with some random terrain size number). This large ski resort has 1,070 metres (3,510 ft) of lift accessed vertical drop (1,030 – 2,100m), and more than 60 slopes with a split of 15% beginner, 60% intermediate, 20% advanced and 5% expert.

The Cerro Catedral ski resort is best suited to intermediate and advanced riders, and there’s also adequate terrain for beginners and a decent terrain park. Catedral is known for the good tree skiing, and experts also have a range of alpine off-piste options as well as lift-assisted backcountry chutes and bowls for those that are avalanche savvy. It’s also a gateway to various Bariloche backcountry zones and hut touring.

Monstrous lift lines are common place at Catedral, and lift infrastructure modernisation to improve uphill capacity has been inadequate. The main lift strategy has been to decommission old lifts and T-bars. Of the 28 lifts, there is a gondola, 2 6-person chair lifts, 4 quad chairs, and a mix of elderly slow triple and double chairs that look like hand-me-downs, and several surface lists. Relative to most other South America ski resorts, the lifts are considered ultra-modern.

Cerro Catedral Snow

As to be expected, the snow varies significantly across the vertical of the ski area. The top has good elevation and the average snowfall per season is 6 metres/236 inches. Further down, the snow is often rather heavy. Pack the fat skis but not your brand new ones, because the base altitude is low and the snow cover can be patchy. The slopes are largely easy facing, with variations to northeast and southeast aspects across the resort.

Where is Cerro Catedral Argentina?

Cerro Catedral is the Bariloche ski resort, located 17km (10.6 miles) from the centre of the town of San Carlos de Bariloche. Cerro Catedral and Bariloche are situated in the Nahuel Huapi National Park in the Rio Negro Province of Argentina’s Lake District. Bariloche has its own airport, located 11km (7 miles) from downtown, with 2 hour flights originating from Buenos Aires which is 1,621 km away.

The road between Bariloche and Cerro Catedral is paved and the drive takes about 25 minutes. If you don’t have a car there are semi-regular buses between town and the ski resort, and if you don’t like being packed in like a sardine, the other options are taxis or chauffeurs.

Villa Catedral Lodging

The village at the base of Cerro Catedral has a good selection of lodging within easy reach of the slopes. The 7,000 beds of Cerro Catedral lodging include hotels, condos and guesthouse accommodation. The village has a good range of restaurants, bars, shops, and ski and snowboard facilities.

Alternatively the city of Bariloche has lots of accommodations ranging from hostels up to 5 star hotels. Staying in Bariloche tends to be more affordable, even after you’ve factored in the cost of a remise (taxi) to get to the slopes. Bariloche has a rocking nightlife, although Catedral’s nightlife isn’t too shabby either, and Bariloche has all the chocolate shops a choc-a-holic could ever dream of.

Cerro Catedral Accommodations Listings

Bariloche Lodging Listings

When to Ski Bariloche/Catedral

Cerro Catedral is definitely not an undiscovered ski resort. It is often busy, and can be really frantic in the peak holiday season in July. Powder hounds shouldn’t despair though, as most of the riders and snowboarders at Catedral are beginners and intermediates, and if you get an early start you can get ahead of the main crowds that sleep in after partying. The best time to visit Catedral is probably from early to mid August onwards.

You might be lucky enough to score a legendary huge dump from a Santa Rosa storm. There may be more myth to this popular Argentina legend than reality, but part of the theory is that Santa Rosa storms occur up to five days earlier than or five days later than the Santa Rosa festival of Lima which is celebrated on the 30th of August each year.

Guiding and Tours of Cerro Catedral

Advanced and expert riders will get the most out of Cerro Catedral with a guide. A guide will be particularly valuable for some of the best tree skiing exits to ensure you don’t spend an hour hacking out of the dense shrubbery or end up in the creek.

SASS Global Travel are the Catedral specialists and provide fantastic affordable week-long programs that include guiding (in-bounds and in the sidecountry), lodging, meals, and full hosting to negotiate the language and culture of Argentina.

Or there are ski/snowboard guiding outfits that offer backcountry ski touring and/or Patagonia trips that also visit nearby ski resorts, sled skiing and snowcat skiing. See the Catedral tour options here.