All activities / Skiing & Snowsports / Bariloche
Skiing & Snowsports in BarilocheAR
A lakeside town in Nahuel Huapi National Park at the foot of Cerro Catedral, the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere.
Why here
Cerro Catedral is the Southern Hemisphere's largest ski area: roughly 120 km of runs, some 40 lifts, and famously easy access to lift-served sidecountry and tree skiing, all 30 minutes from a real lakeside town rather than an isolated ski station. For northern skiers it means July powder in what is otherwise their summer, with a season stretching from late June to early October. The refugio touring above the resort, Frey most famously, is a classic in its own right, and Cerro Bayo and Chapelco within striking distance turn a week into a multi-mountain trip.
Best months
The season runs from about the end of June to early October; mid-July to mid-August is the most reliable snow and also the Argentine school-holiday peak, so early September often skis just as well with half the people. Storms roll in from the Pacific; wind-hold days happen.
Getting there & around
Fly to Bariloche (BRC), about two hours from Buenos Aires; the resort base at Villa Catedral is 30 minutes from town. Book lodging and lessons two to three months ahead for July and August.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Catedral Alta Patagonia
SchoolThe company operating Cerro Catedral and its official ski and snowboard school, with lift tickets, lessons, and rentals from the Villa Catedral base.
PowderQuest
GuideA South America ski specialist running guided resort and backcountry tours at Catedral and across the Andes since 1999.