South American Ski Guide: Bariloche, Argentina

Matias Ricci |

Some information on this article is based on Miles Clark’s “Why Bariloche is Really Great“.

Canada Dan going big at Catedral ski resort in Bariloche, Argentina. photo: miles clark/snowbrains
Canada Dan going big at Catedral ski resort in Bariloche, Argentina. photo: miles clark/snowbrains

It’s time to continue our tour all the way south. Our next stop is San Carlos de Bariloche. Home for one of the most famous ski resorts in Argentina and South America -Cerro Catedral Ski Resort-, Bariloche stands next to the cold waters of the Lake Nahuel Huapi. Sorrounded by georgous mountains and forests, this city has a population of about 115.000 people. During the winter, its becomes itself a real ski town.

Bariloche is located in Rio Negro Province, Argentina.
Bariloche is located in Rio Negro Province, Argentina.

Skiing

Cerro Catedral

Lake Nahuel Huapi and Cerro Catedral. photo: miles clark/snowbrains
Lake Nahuel Huapi and Cerro Catedral. photo: miles clark/snowbrains

Stunning views. Sick lines. Amazing forests. Insane powder. Catedral Ski Resort is a couple of minutes drive away from the city of Bariloche. With 38 lifts and 3,000 acres, Cerro Catedral has the largest lift accessed ski terrain in South America, approximately half of which is off-piste terrain. This mega ski resort has 3,510 ft of vertical drop, and 120km of slopes.

La Laguna at Catedral. photo: miles clark/snowbrains
La Laguna at Catedral. photo: miles clark/snowbrains

Cerro Catedral base holds at an elevation of 3,379 ft over the sea level, and its summit, at an elevation of 6,889 ft over the sea level. There is terrain for every type of skier and ski level, from begginer runs to one of the most complete terrain parks in the country, steep colouirs and powder tree skiing.

The terrain park in Bariloche is one of the best in South America.
The terrain park in Bariloche is one of the best in South America.

Cerro Catedral is characterized by its huge size, modern infrastructure and a great variety of possibilities when skiing the mountain.ย It is so versatile; it doesn’t matter the way you ski, you will for sure have fun.

View of Cerro Negro from Catedral. photo: miles clark/snowbrains
View of Cerro Negro from Catedral. photo: miles clark/snowbrains

mapa_pistas_2015

Definitely, one of the best things that Catedral offers is its simple side-country access. “You ride lifts up, engage in a bit of hiking, and youโ€™re into some killer terrain. You can opt for a shelfy cliff zone called La Laguna (very similar to some Tahoe terrain) with a quick 15-minute hike”. Also, El Filo and Segundo Lomo are great options.

La Laguna today.
La Laguna.

If you are willing to challenge your limits, hut-ski itineraries are a thing of another world. These “refugees”, hidden up in the mountains provide access to some of the best terrain in the Andes, and are a once in a life experience.ย  Most of them require you to either know the way or go with someone that knows it. There are several expeditions which are really worth it. The most iconic one is the Refugio Frey one. Click here if you want to read more about backcountry skiing in Bariloche.

Refugio Frey, Bariloche, Argentina.
Refugio Frey, Bariloche, Argentina. photo: carlos cespedes

“In bounds, Catedralโ€™s terrain is very similar to Mammoth ski resort. Long, sloping runs with no trees at all on top, then tree-cut runs at the bottom. ย The main difference here being the thick swaths of bamboo that cover the forest floors of lower Catedral”.

Catedral ski resort in Bariloche, Argentina with snow to the base and below. September 20th, 2013. photo: snowbrains.com
Catedral ski resort in Bariloche, Argentina with snow to the base and below. September 20th, 2013. photo: snowbrains.com

“The old growth tree skiing in Bariloche is unparalleled. ย Large Lenga trees shed their leaves in the winter, have no deadly tree wells, few low branches, and have spacing that every skier will admire. ย Iridescent spanish moss hangs from every branch and adds to these forestsโ€™ enchantment. ย Downed trees create fun pillows to pop off at low snow levels.

Jared ร…kerstrรถm ripping the trees today at Catedral today. photo: TJ David
Jared ร…kerstrรถm ripping the trees today at Catedral. photo: TJ David

That said, Catedralโ€™s only drawback is its elevation. ย The base is 3,379 feet, the summit is 6,889 feet, and the latitude is only 41 degrees South of the equator (the equivalent of Northern California in northern hemisphere). ย This translates to some seasons with lots of rain down low. ย Which isnโ€™t too big a problem, as all the best terrain is up high and it almost always snows up there”.

Snow up high, dry down low. Catedral, Bariloche
Snow up high, dry down low. Catedral, Bariloche

 

Cerro Bayo, Villa La Angostura

Villa La Angostura
The Correntoso River connects the waters of the Correntoso Lake and the Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is known as the the shorter river on Earth.

On the other side of Lake Nahuel Huapi, two hours driving from Bariloche, there is a little town called Villa La Angostura. There, you’ll find a tiny, boutique ski resort ofย  only seven lifts and a few slopes: the Cerro Bayo. Argentinean president, Mauricio Macri, and the royal family of Netherlands, for example, spend their holidays at Villa La Angostura. Views from Cerro Bayo are incredible. If you are looking for a more peaceful, exclusive place, or if you want to escape for a while from Bariloche, Cerro Bayo is a great option.

Cerro Bayo
Villa La Angostura, in winter.

Baguales

Baguales terrain. Baguales terrain dwarfs their 300 Piston Bully cat. One hour south of the bustle of Bariloche, Argentina is a special place called Baguales Mountain Preserve. Baguales is a large cat skiing operation with three huts, expansive terrain, wildlife, and nothing around for miles. The amount and variety of terrain here is impressive. This is Patagonia. The Patagonia you read about in books and hear about in stories. Baguales refugio and impressive terrain Baguales refugio and impressive terrain When I arrived last Thursday, we were anticipating spring skiing, so we ate some breakfast and drank tea while things softened up a bit. We loaded the first cat around 10:30am and never looked back. Baguales terrain and cat. Baguales terrain and cat. Once in that cat, it was non-stop. We skied 3 laps in the first playful zone before changing aspects and changing zones. By the end of the day, we'd skied 6 different zones on 6 different aspects. My guide, Ramiro My guide, Ramiro Baguales is big. Big enough to allow for following the sun as it moves from aspect to aspect throughout the day. Big enough to give its clients options on where to go and what to ski. Wether they have powder or corn, they've got the terrain variability to make the day's conditions work. Mari and the big terrain of Baguales. The zone in the middle was our first ski zone of the day. Mari and the big terrain of Baguales. The zone in the middle was our first ski zone of the day. The big peak in the back is Cerro Villegas. What really turned me on was their two rustic refugios (huts) placed deep in the backcountry. One at the base of some playful freeride terrain and one at the base of the big, bad Cerro Villegas. Baguales refugio and impressive terrain Baguales refugio and impressive terrain Cerro Villegas is a freeskier's paradise. Steeps, cliffs, roll overs, chutes, and wide open faces. A week living in the refugio at the base of Villegas would be a dream come true for any freerider. Baguales Baguales and their 300 Piston Bully Cat. Baguales offers daily cat skiing and they rent out the refugios for backcountry skiers. There is something for all ability levels and anyone will appreciate the beauty and serenity of Patagonia it its reality. Baguales refugio with mountain refelction Baguales refugio with mountain refelction PHOTO TOUR: Another angle of the big peak you can see right out the windows of the main refugio Another angle of the big peak you can see right out the windows of the main refugio Baguales Refugio and Mari. Baguales Refugio and Mari. Corn harvest at Baguales Corn harvest at Baguales Tronador Tronador from Baguales. Loading the cat at the bottom of a solid run. Loading the cat at the bottom of a solid run. You can see the cat track in the middle of this photo. This was the zone we started the day on. The big, bad terrain we plan to come back here for. Baguales' expansive terrain Baguales' expansive terrain Perfect corn at Baguales last Thursday. Perfect corn at Baguales last Thursday. Dani getting some air in the back bowls. Dani getting some air in the back bowls. Mini hike after a very long run. Mini hike after a very long run. Baguales terrain. Baguales terrain.
Cat-skiing in Baguales.

45-minutes southย of the bustle of Bariloche, Argentina, is a special place called Baguales Mountain Reserve. Baguales is a largeย cat skiing and heli skiing operation with huts, expansive terrain, unique wildlife, and nothing around for miles. ย The amount and variety of terrain here is impressive. ย This is the real Patagonia. ย The Patagonia you read about in books and hear about in stories. Click here if you want to read more about Baguales Mountain Reserve.

Baguales, Argentina. August 7th, 2014.
Baguales, Argentina. August 7th, 2014.

Getting Here

Eventhough the city of Barioche is 1,000 miles away from Buenos Aires, it’s probably the easiest one to get to.

LAN and Aerolineas Argentinas offer daily direct flights from and to Buenos Aires. Time of flight is 2:20 hs and prices start in $127 (US dollars). Be careful: Buenos Aires has two main airports: Ezeiza and Aeroparque Jorge Newbery. Both are international airports, but Ezeiza serves longer international flights, while Aeroparque serves most of domestic and border countries flights. Aeroparque Jorge Newbery is much better, as it is just a few minutes away from the center of the city. Ezeiza is one-hour away. Flightsย information in www.skyscanner.com.

For the same price -or sometimes even more expensive- you can find direct buses from the Retiro Bus Terminal, in Buenos Aires. But I wouldn’t recommend it. It may result veryย tedious to be 20 hours sitting in your seat… Anyway, you can book bus tickets at www.plataforma10.com.

Where to Sleep

The good thing about Cerro Catedral is that it’s just alongsideย an important city such as Bariloche. For this reason, there are hundreds of accomodation options, from smallย hostels down in the city to five-star ski in-out luxury hotels on the base of Cerro Catedral. In this guide we will show the best ones; if you are looking for cheaper options, you might check tripadvisor.com or booking.com. There are infinite possibilities in an incredible range of prices.

Bariloche: Llao Llao Hotel and Resort. President Obama visited Argentina a few weeks ago. And not for any reason he decided to spend an afternoon here. Llao Llao Hotel and Resort is the most exclusive hotel in Bariloche. It is located inย the outskirts of the city, next to the majestic Lake Nahuel Huapi. More information here.

The majestic Llao Llao.
Llao Llao Hotel, Bariloche.
Lake Nahuel Huapi and Llao Llao Hotel.
Lake Nahuel Huapi and Llao Llao Hotel.

Cerro Catedral: Pire Hue. Located at the base of Cerro Catedral, Pire Hue is one of the best options if you’re looking for a ski in-out hotel. More information here.

Pire Hue, one of the best options if you decide to stay at the resort.
Pire Hue, one of the best options if you decide to stay at the resort.

Villa La Angostura: Correntoso Lake & River Resort. If you decide to visit Villa La Angostura (Cerro Bayo), then you must stay at Correntoso Resort. The picture talks for itself. More information here.

At Villa La Angostura, Correntoso is without a doubt a good place to stay.
At Villa La Angostura, Correntoso is without a doubt a good place to stay.

What to Do

Patagonian wine and some cheese.
Patagonian wine and some cheese.

When night falls over the lake front, the lights of the most prestigious restaurants in the Avenida Bustillo turn on. A good glass of wine and a table of smoked cheeses are excellent company for stories of an long day. In the city center, microbrews and delicious chocolates are tasted. The music starts playing with proposals for everyone: clubs open until late at night, breweries and Irish bars. In the casino, chance is accompanied by live music. Because in Bariloche, the largest city in the region of the lakes in the Andean Patagonia, all the fun of the day continues overnight.

Argentina doesn't stop at night.
Argentina doesn’t stop at night.

 

Mountain Information

Cerro Catedral

Lifts: 38

Runs: 34

Pistes: 74 mi

Terrain Parks: 1

Skiable Terrain: 1482 ha

Base elevation: 3,379 ft

Summit elevation: 6,889 ft

Vertical drop: 3,510 ft

For further information, you may visit the official Cerro Catedral website. If you have any doubt, don’t hesitate in contacting me.


Related Articles

Got an opinion? Let us know...