Cerro Catedral, Mountain ski resort in Patagonia, Argentina

Cerro Catedral rises from a base at 1,030 m to a 2,388 m summit in Nahuel Huapí National Park, 19 km from San Carlos de Bariloche. Its ski area covers 600 ha with 48 km of runs and a vertical drop of 1,150 m, served by 29 lifts including 19 chairlifts. Snowfields give way to leafless trees and brown scrub above the Nahuel Huapi lake.

In the 1930s Argentina's National Parks Directorate hired Austrian ski champion Hans Nöbl, who judged the slopes of Cerro Catedral the most suitable; access roads were cut and the first drag lifts reached 1,700 m, and a first competition was held in 1938. The first chairlift, Lynch, went up in 1964, and the FIS homologated the runs for international races in 1973. In 2004 the south and north slopes were unified under Catedral Alta Patagonia.

Cerro Catedral's name comes from the rock towers on its summit, which early Bariloche residents compared to cathedral spires. The ski centre at its foot is named after Antonio Lynch, and the Refugio Emilio Frey, run by the Club Andino Bariloche above Tonček lagoon, serves walkers and climbers year-round, busiest in spring and summer.

The site is well served by lift systems and offers lodging options at the base and at higher elevations. Conditions vary considerably between seasons, so it is wise to check current information before your visit.

The area receives regular moisture from Pacific weather systems that create stable and frequent snowfall. This makes it a more reliable winter destination than many other high-altitude locations in South America.