Mountain Hikes: Cerro Catedral

About 15 miles from Llao Llao, Cerro Catedral (Cathedral Hill) gained fame as a ski resort, but it offers sensational panoramas at every season. We arrived at the base of the Amancay gondola on a sunny morning after a rainstorm that had washed the mountain air clear of dust. Our guide, Pablo, told us some of the history of the resort as we ascended, while below, the lenga trees and yellow Amancay flowers eventually gave way to brush and rock. We were the first hikers of the day to arrive at the Diente de Caballo chairlift, and a worker was still removing snow from the seats. Just below the Punta Princesa peak, we disembarked and hiked through pristine snow, weaving our way up to the ridge of Nubes. As we reached its apex, glorious scenery surrounded us in every direction. The most unforgettable view encompassed snowy Mount Tronador, the rugged snout of Puntiagudo volcano, the green humps of Victoria Island in Lake Nahuel Huapi and, in the far distance, the white cone of Lanín volcano. We stood on the ridge, stupefied by the natural grandeur. All around us was silence. It wasn’t until we headed back down — having spotted a gray fox scurrying up the slope — that we encountered another hiker on the trail.