In 1936, the authorities of Parques Nacionales (a national institution devoted to the protection and regulation of Argentina’s natural heritage) asked Hans Nöbl, a ski instructor and champion in Switzerland, to study the possibility of creating a winter sports center in Bariloche. After considering various alternatives, it was decided that the tracks would be settled on the north-eastern slope of Catedral Hill.
By 1938, the project was begun in the mountain with the demarcation of the trail leading to the planned village; and already in 1939, the construction of the inferior and superior stations of the would-be cable car was begun. However, this Italian lift could not be finished until 1949, due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Thus, for years, the only link between the base and the high slopes of Catedral Hill was a temporary freight elevator, which had been installed together with the Cable car System and was used for carrying materials and supplies up to a height of 1,800 meters above sea level. The ride up took an hour and there was room for only four people.

Antonio Lynch Mountain Refuge, built on the ridge of Catedral Hill, was formally opened in 1942 and rented to the Club Argentino de Ski (Argentinean Ski Club), a ski association which has its headquarters in Buenos Aires. In 1944, the mountain saw more developments: the inauguration of Catedral Hotel and the opening of two more mountain refuges, one of which belonged to the CUBA (Club Universitario de Buenos Aires) and the other to CAB (Club Andino Bariloche). By that time, at Catedral base there were two ski rentals: Carlos Oertle and Heriberto Spiegel, a restaurant and a coffee store as well.

Over these years, the whole lift system consisted of one ski-lift that took people from the base up to an elevation of 1,200 meters above sea level, and another one that reached as far as 1,700 meters; both of them were owned by the Club Andino Bariloche. During the winter of 1946, Parques Nacionales brought into service a ski-lift starting from the superior station of the freight elevator up to Lynch Mountain Refuge, at 1,950 m.a.s.l.

By 1950’s, the city of San Carlos de Bariloche had almost 10,000 inhabitants and welcomed as much as 55,000 tourists per year. In the winter of 1953, CAB and Parques Nacionales organized for the first time a Snow Festival, which consisted of a skiing obstacle race and a torch-lit descent. On the race, skiers were supposed to wear costumes while eluding such obstacles as ski-jumps, fences, walkways and tunnels. Ever since, this traditional festivity has become a major event during the winter season, being this year its 34th anniversary.

At that point, in order to keep the ski resort access roads clean, Parques Nacionales bought two Swiss snow-ploughs.

By 1938, the first ski races had already been organized in the inferior runs; and it was also by this year that the Ski School of Parques Nacionales began to work, with ski instructors coming from Europe. Another ski school was soon organized with local ski instructors.

Along with the development of the winter sports center, several ski schools were created. Since 1943, Catalina Reynal Ski School has been working, assisted by CAB. This ski school was named after a woman who sponsored many young skiers from Bariloche that were unable to afford their equipment and instruction. In 1946, she also provided the funding for taking a local delegation to the World Championship in Saint Moritz. In coming years, this school would bring various champions to light.
The first chairlift of Catedral was installed during 1964 and 1965 and was called Lynch. Nowadays, it still operates and connects the superior station of the Cable Lift with the namesake mountain refuge.
In 1968, the sections I and II of the lift that reaches Piedra del Cóndor were laid, but present Intermediate Station was still non-existent at that time. Together with the settlement of the mentioned lift, Piedra del Cóndor coffee store was inaugurated and the T-bar of Punta Nevada was installed.

In 1974, Esquiadores chairlift was installed, while the Club Andino’s T-bar was transferred from the southern slope of the mountain to its present position.

Four years later, La Hoya chairlift appeared; Also, the building of the previously mentioned Intermediate Station of Cóndor II lift was carried out, thus dividing the lift into three sections (Cóndor I, II and III).
Later on, in 1993, the government of the Province of Río Negro granted concession of the northern slope of Catedral Hill to Ski World S.A.

Then, in 1996, Catedral Alta Patagonia took on the concession of Ski World, and decided to install two new chairlifts: Montaz Montino, known as Militares or Telesilla del Filo (Ridge Lift), and the Sextuple Superbubble, which goes from the base up to its Inferior Station. On the following year, together with the extension of the Sextuple’s lift, the new Quadruple chairlift was placed and the first Snowboard Park of South America was developed.

On March 4th 2004, the government of Río Negro formalized the contractual agreement which grants a 25-year concession to Catedral Alta Patagonia to operate the north and south parts of Antonio Lynch Winter Sports Center. Thus, since then, a boastful Modernization Plan has begun. That means that the lifts’ capacity will be doubled, new areas for skiers, snowboarders, beginners and non-skiing tourists will be opened, competition runs will be trailed, and there will be a more extensive area assisted by snow-making machines.

Modernization Plan