Paragliding
Lions Head
Cape Town, Western Cape
Today
Not flyable
NAm soarable · 9 km/h SSW
Best window this week
Thu 20 · 14h00 · 🤔 1 stars · 17m tops
Soarable tops — 7-day
Reference lines show historical 75th and 95th percentile for Lions Head.
▸Detailed forecast table
| Time | Stars | Tops (m) | Sfc Wind | BL Wind | BL Top | BL Ht (m) | Thermal (m/s) | BL Cloud % | Sun % | Temp (°C) | Dewpt (°C) | Rain (mm) | Pres (hPa) | Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 20Clear | Stars | Tops (m) | Sfc Wind | BL Wind | BL Top | BL Ht (m) | Thermal (m/s) | BL Cloud % | Sun % | Temp (°C) | Dewpt (°C) | Rain (mm) | Pres (hPa) | Student |
| 08h | — | 199 | 15 SE | 13 SE | 13 SE | 208 | 0.0 | 0% | 46% | 11.6 | 9.5 | 0 | 1026 | — |
| 11h | — | 17 | 7 NNW | 7 NNW | 7 NNW | 25 | 0.0 | 0% | 90% | 12.7 | 10.5 | 0 | 1027 | — |
| 14h | 🤔 | 17 | 20 SSW | 20 SSW | 20 SSW | 25 | 0.0 | 0% | 94% | 15.3 | 8.5 | 0 | 1025 | — |
| 17h | — | 17 | 20 SE | 19 SE | 19 SE | 25 | 0.0 | 0% | 85% | 15.3 | 8.2 | 0 | 1024 | — |
| Fri 21Clear | Stars | Tops (m) | Sfc Wind | BL Wind | BL Top | BL Ht (m) | Thermal (m/s) | BL Cloud % | Sun % | Temp (°C) | Dewpt (°C) | Rain (mm) | Pres (hPa) | Student |
| 08h | — | 199 | 22 SE | 20 SE | 20 SE | 208 | 0.0 | 0% | 67% | 11.5 | 8.1 | 0 | 1021 | — |
| 11h | — | 17 | 11 NNE | 11 NNE | 11 NNE | 25 | 0.0 | 0% | 95% | 12.9 | 8.9 | 0 | 1020 | — |
| 14h | — | 17 | 4 NE | 4 NE | 4 NE | 25 | 0.0 | 0% | 98% | 13.4 | 8.2 | 0 | 1017 | — |
| 17h | — | 17 | 2 NE | 2 NE | 2 NE | 25 | 0.0 | 0% | 94% | 15.1 | 8.1 | 0 | 1017 | — |
| Sat 22Fog | Stars | Tops (m) | Sfc Wind | BL Wind | BL Top | BL Ht (m) | Thermal (m/s) | BL Cloud % | Sun % | Temp (°C) | Dewpt (°C) | Rain (mm) | Pres (hPa) | Student |
| 08h | — | 199 | 4 NE | 4 NE | 4 NE | 208 | 0.0 | 100% | 24% | 10 | 10.1 | 0 | 1025 | — |
| 11h | — | 17 | 15 NNE | 13 NNE | 13 NNE | 25 | 0.0 | 0% | 95% | 12.8 | 11 | 0 | 1026 | — |
| 14h | — | 17 | 6 ESE | 2 N | 7 NW | 124 | 0.0 | 57% | 98% | 13 | 11.2 | 0 | 1026 | — |
| 17h | — | 17 | 6 E | 4 NE | 6 NNW | 208 | 0.0 | 58% | 11% | 13.2 | 11.3 | 0 | 1026 | — |
| Sun 23Clear | Stars | Tops (m) | Sfc Wind | BL Wind | BL Top | BL Ht (m) | Thermal (m/s) | BL Cloud % | Sun % | Temp (°C) | Dewpt (°C) | Rain (mm) | Pres (hPa) | Student |
| 08h | — | 199 | 15 SE | 13 SE | 13 SE | 208 | 0.0 | 0% | 69% | 11.8 | 10.4 | 0 | 1028 | — |
| 11h | — | 687 | 4 ESE | 6 ESE | 4 S | 970 | 2.0 | 0% | 95% | 19 | 8.6 | 0 | 1028 | — |
| 14h | — | 788 | 0 S | 6 ESE | 2 S | 1078 | 2.0 | 0% | 98% | 20.9 | 7.9 | 0 | 1026 | — |
| 17h | — | 199 | 7 SSE | 9 SE | 6 S | 571 | 1.0 | 0% | 99% | 17.8 | 7.7 | 0 | 1025 | — |
| Mon 24Clear | Stars | Tops (m) | Sfc Wind | BL Wind | BL Top | BL Ht (m) | Thermal (m/s) | BL Cloud % | Sun % | Temp (°C) | Dewpt (°C) | Rain (mm) | Pres (hPa) | Student |
| 08h | 🤔 | 1 | 6 SSW | 2 WSW | 2 WSW | 9 | 0.0 | 28% | 61% | 13.6 | 11.1 | 0 | 1025 | — |
| 11h | — | 1 | 31 SSW | 28 SSW | 26 S | 59 | 0.0 | 33% | 94% | 14.5 | 11.9 | 0 | 1025 | — |
| 14h | — | 1 | 39 SSW | 35 SSW | 33 S | 79 | 0.0 | 18% | 98% | 14.8 | 11.7 | 0 | 1023 | — |
| 17h | — | 1 | 28 SSW | 28 SSW | 28 SSW | 34 | 0.0 | 0% | 100% | 15 | 10.8 | 0 | 1023 | — |
| Tue 25Clear | Stars | Tops (m) | Sfc Wind | BL Wind | BL Top | BL Ht (m) | Thermal (m/s) | BL Cloud % | Sun % | Temp (°C) | Dewpt (°C) | Rain (mm) | Pres (hPa) | Student |
| 08h | — | 1 | 13 NW | 13 NW | 13 NW | 15 | 0.0 | 0% | 63% | 14.2 | 10.2 | 0 | 1022 | — |
| 11h | — | 1 | 7 W | 9 WNW | 9 WNW | 9 | 0.0 | 0% | 94% | 14.3 | 10.5 | 0 | — | — |
| 14h | 🤔 | 1 | 6 SSW | 6 SW | 6 SW | 9 | 0.0 | 0% | 98% | 16.8 | 8.8 | 0 | 1020 | — |
| 17h | — | 1 | 4 SSE | 0 W | 0 SSW | 9 | 0.0 | 0% | 100% | 12.8 | 12.8 | 0 | — | — |
| Wed 26Clear | Stars | Tops (m) | Sfc Wind | BL Wind | BL Top | BL Ht (m) | Thermal (m/s) | BL Cloud % | Sun % | Temp (°C) | Dewpt (°C) | Rain (mm) | Pres (hPa) | Student |
| 08h | — | 200 | 20 NNE | 17 NNE | 20 NNE | 248 | 0.0 | 0% | 64% | 15.9 | 3 | 0 | — | — |
| 11h | — | 200 | 11 NNW | 11 NNW | 17 NNW | 280 | 0.0 | 0% | 94% | 25.4 | -0.8 | 0 | — | — |
| 14h | — | 313 | 15 WNW | 19 WNW | 22 NW | 514 | 1.0 | 0% | 98% | 27.1 | -1.7 | 0 | — | — |
| 17h | — | 200 | 7 WNW | 9 NW | 15 NW | 357 | 1.0 | 0% | 100% | 24.9 | -1.5 | 0 | — | — |
Home ground of the Glen Paragliding Club and one of the most consistent, scenic soaring sites in Cape Town, with views over Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles. The afternoon thermic upslope breeze makes conditions best from around 3pm, in the lee of the southeasterly. The peak's shape accelerates wind sharply at both launch points when conditions are soarable.
Notice something outdated on this page? Let Ria know →Table Mountain National Park requirements
Licence required: Basic licence with 40 flights (paragliding); C licence (hang gliding) — B-licence hang glider pilots may be signed off by a C-licence pilot in suitable conditions. First-time pilots need 4 supervised launches; visiting or up-country pilots need a local briefing and supervised launch.
Designated launch points: Lower launch site, Top launch site
Launch only from the designated Top or Lower launch sites. No night flying and no damaging vegetation. Launching outside the designated areas carries SANParks penalties, escalating to a site ban. (Per the Oct 2004 TMNP EMP — confirm current requirements with SAHPA/TMNP.)
Hazards & cautions
The venturi effect at both launches can be severe — launch directly into wind and stay within your ability, starting with short exploratory tacks to find the wind's limits at each side of the peak. If blown over the back, work around the side of the mountain rather than straight behind it, aiming for Signal Hill or Green Point. In a southerly, fly left of the ridge spine running down toward Camps Bay High School to avoid being pushed short of the landing field. Berg-wind (northeasterly) days can tempt a thermic launch, but the mixing of hot inland air with cool sea air over the landing area creates violent, unpredictable lift and sink — best avoided.
Launch & landing
The lower launch, reached via a 10-minute walk through a silver-leaf grove, is used when conditions are soarable and southwesterly; the top site, another 10 minutes further (below the cliffs on the northwest side, not the summit), is steep, loose underfoot, and typically crossed from the left. Height at the top site is about 450m ASL with a 1200m ceiling. Land on the grass field in front of La Med at the Glen Country Club, with the Camps Bay High School field as a backup; avoid the beaches in summer.
Access
Via Kloof Nek Road to the saddle between Lion's Head and Table Mountain, turning toward Signal Hill; the launch path starts from the gravel car park once the road levels out.
Flying conditions
Wind recommendation
W-SW, thermic lee-side in SE
Flyable directions
SSW, SW, WSW, W
Wind speed range
0–26 km/h
Student site
No
Quick facts
- Grade
- Basic
- Region
- Cape Town
- Distance from Cape Town
- 4 km (straight-line)
- Coordinates
- -33.9383°S, 18.3872°E
Want to train at a site like this?
See Beginner CourseReady to fly?
Your first solo flight is three sessions away. The beginner course is available year-round — gear, sites, and SAHPA registration all included.
Or call +27 78 095 8136