Basic

Paragliding
Gydo Pass

Boland, Western Cape

Today

Not flyable

34 km/h WNW · not flyable

FlyableWind dirNo fogNo rain

Best window this week

Mon 26 · 14h00 · 🔥 4 stars · 2,286m tops

Soarable tops — 7-day

Reference lines show historical 75th and 95th percentile for Gydo Pass.

p75 2053mp95 2587m1766mTue 201756mWed 211779mThu 221860mFri 23Sat 241764mSun 252286mMon 26
p75 — typical flyable dayp95 — exceptional dayBar height = soarable tops (hwcrit)
▸Detailed forecast table
TimeStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)
Tue 20ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)
08h—9948 NNW13 NNW18 NW12091.00%70%9.81.101018
11h—1,81314 NW29 NW45 WNW22222.00%83%18.3-1.901015
14h—1,76621 WNW38 WNW51 WNW21572.00%77%19.20.801012
17h—1,31824 WNW48 WNW57 WNW16942.00%72%15.51.501012
Wed 21🌧 RainStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)
08h—99432 NW43 WNW51 WNW10990.064%13%9.98.511015
11h—1,71933 WNW66 WNW74 WNW20633.041%93%1610.101014
14h—1,75634 WNW64 WNW69 W21013.00%94%17.69.411014
17h—1,31836 WNW61 WNW63 WNW16352.010%80%14.69.411013
Thu 22ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)
08h—99416 W24 W29 W12691.0100%9%9.38.411019
11h—1,61816 W30 W38 W19272.061%93%14.78.501019
14h—1,77916 WSW29 W40 WSW21363.084%84%15.78.501019
17h—1,39317 WSW26 WSW28 WSW17212.024%92%14.48.301019
Fri 23ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)
08h—99419 NNE23 NNE26 NNE10690.00%68%12.4501022
11h👍1,8609 SSW6 W17 W22422.00%91%20.12.901021
14h—2,12017 WSW11 W19 WNW25483.00%96%22.35.101019
17h—1,62213 WSW12 W11 W20492.00%98%20.95.701019
Sat 24ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)
08h—1,2233 NE2 E2 NNW13691.00%100%17.43.101020
11h—1,88313 WSW12 W18 W22212.00%100%21.35.401018
14h—1,94618 WSW12 W14 NW22862.00%97%22.55.901016
17h—1,50019 SW16 SW9 SSW18331.00%87%21.66.901015
Sun 25ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)
08h—1,22310 NE8 NNE8 NNE13181.00%100%197.201015
11h—1,79217 W13 WNW15 NW20902.00%100%22.38.101016
14h—1,76420 SW17 WSW17 W20392.00%97%21.48.201015
17h—1,65422 SSW23 SW23 SW20522.00%77%21.17.501016
Mon 26ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)
08h—91613 E15 E11 ENE12391.01%100%17.19.10—
11h🔥1,96410 SSW4 SSW5 WSW24003.025%100%20.89.10—
14h🔥2,28615 S5 SSE14 E27953.013%97%23.48.10—
17h👍1,76318 SSE15 ESE16 NE23162.02%87%23.69.50—

A low pass tucked into the corner of the Ceres valley that can sometimes escape the southeasterly winds affecting the rest of the Cape; on good thermic days it's possible to climb out toward the higher Waboomberg peak, though it's a demanding climb. A strong westerly develops toward the desert on summer afternoons, making the site turbulent later in the day.

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Hazards & cautions

Powerlines cross the landing area, and the site turns turbulent in a southwesterly.

Launch & landing

Launch from a wide, easy area reached via a farm track off the pass road (farm permission required) — about 200m above the valley (980m ASL, 2900m ceiling). Land at the farm near the base of the pass, beside the lower dam.

Access

Via the N1 to Worcester, the R43 to Ceres, then the road toward Prince Alfred's Hamlet and up the Gydo Pass.

Background

Roughly 40km recorded to Porterville (Yelland, Dec 1997).

Flying conditions

Wind recommendation

S - SE

Flyable directions

ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW

Wind speed range

0–18 km/h

Air School training site

Not used for Air School training

Quick facts

Grade
Basic
Region
Boland
Distance from Cape Town
113 km (straight-line)
Coordinates
-33.2367°S, 19.3244°E
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Want to train at a site like this?

See Beginner Course

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