Ski Touring Above Cerro Catedral: The Terrain Beyond the Lifts
The lifts at Cerro Catedral access extraordinary terrain. But above the top stations, the touring routes open a different kind of skiing entirely -- quieter, steeper, and entirely on your own terms.
The highest lift at Cerro Catedral tops out at around 2,100 metres. The ridgeline above it reaches 2,388 metres at Cerro Catedral Alto. The terrain between those two points -- accessed on foot with skins or crampons -- is among the best ski touring in the Argentine Andes, and almost none of the resort's international visitors ever see it.
This is what ski touring above Catedral involves, who it is for, and what you actually need to do it safely.
What touring above Catedral means
Ski touring in this context does not mean a multi-day hut-to-hut traverse through the wilderness. The touring terrain above Catedral is a half-day or full-day extension of a resort skiing day. You ride the lifts to the top, skin or boot up to the ridge, ski back into the resort boundary or into a designated backcountry exit, and the whole circuit can be completed in two to four hours depending on the line you choose.
The vertical gain from the top of the Punta Nevada gondola to the ridge is approximately 280 metres. On packed snow, a fit skier with touring equipment can climb it in forty to sixty minutes. The descent back into the resort or into the bowl below the ridge is between 500 and 700 metres of vertical depending on the exit.
This is accessible terrain by backcountry standards. But it requires proper equipment, awareness of the snowpack, and ideally a guide who knows the current conditions on the ridge.
The routes
There are three main circuits from the top of the Catedral lift system.
The first is the standard ridge traverse to Cerro Catedral Alto. This is the most popular touring objective and the one closest to the resort boundary. The skin track follows the ridge north from the Punta Nevada station, gaining the summit plateau in about an hour. The descent options from the top include a long northeast-facing bowl that holds powder well into late season and a more direct south-facing return to the lift corridor.
The second is the La Laguna circuit, which drops the back of the ridge into a wide bowl behind the main peak and returns via a long traverse above the treeline. This route requires more navigation and is better done with a guide who has skied it in current conditions.
The third, which most people do not know about, is the connection toward the Challhuaco valley. This is a longer day, takes you well outside the resort boundary, and is strictly a guided route -- the exit involves avalanche terrain that changes substantially with snowpack conditions.
Equipment
If you are coming to Catedral primarily for resort skiing but want to do one or two touring days, you have options.
Tour-specific skis with binding systems that free the heel for skinning are the right equipment. Most skiers visiting Argentina from Europe or North America can bring their own; touring setups have become common enough in the past decade that this is a realistic expectation for a reasonably experienced alpinist.
If you do not own touring equipment, rental in Bariloche is possible but limited. The specialist rental shop nearest the gondola base carries a small touring fleet. Book in advance; the stock is small and the best equipment moves quickly in peak season. Our ski rental guide covers where to go and what to expect.
Beyond skis: avalanche transceiver, probe, and shovel are mandatory for any terrain above the resort boundary. If you do not know how to use this equipment, a guided day includes instruction and the guide carries rescue equipment as well.
Fitness and ability level
The touring terrain above Catedral is appropriate for confident advanced intermediate or expert skiers who are in reasonable aerobic condition. You do not need to be a mountaineer. You do need to be comfortable skiing steep, variable, ungroomed snow without a piste below you.
The ascent is the fitness test. Forty to sixty minutes of sustained climbing at altitude, on skins or crampons, with ski boots and a day pack. Skiers who find a typical lift-served resort day tiring may find the touring extension more demanding than they expect. Come with a realistic assessment of your fitness, not your aspiration.
For guests who want the experience without the full physical commitment, a shorter circuit -- skin to a sub-ridgeline viewpoint and ski back into the resort -- is achievable for a broader range of fitness levels.
Going with a guide
The terrain above the resort boundary is not controlled by the resort ski patrol. Avalanche conditions on the backcountry faces are assessed by your guide, not by the resort's hazard team. This is the primary reason we recommend a guide for any terrain above the Punta Nevada top station.
A guided touring day above Catedral typically runs four to six hours including the lift approach. The guide reads the snowpack, selects the appropriate route for the day's conditions, and manages the descent back into or below the resort.
If touring above Catedral is on your list, tell us when you are planning your trip. We can pair you with a guide who has spent multiple seasons on that terrain and knows which routes are open and safe given the current snowpack.
For more on what off-piste skiing at Catedral involves at the resort level, our off-piste skiing guide covers the ungroomed terrain within the resort boundary in detail.