BasicUsed for solo student progression flights.

Paragliding
Piketberg

Swartland, Western Cape

Today

Not flyable

31 km/h NW · not flyable

FlyableStudent safeWind dirNo fogNo rain

Best window this week

Sun 4 · 08h00 · 🤔 1 starsStudent safe

Soarable tops — 7-day

Reference lines show historical 75th and 95th percentile for Piketberg.

p75 1508mp95 2014mWed 30619mThu 1895mFri 2Sat 3Sun 4Mon 5
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)Student
Wed 30ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h—47719 NNE17 NNE17 NNE4850.00%85%17.28.201019—
11h—47726 NNE37 NNE46 NNE8511.00%96%24.413.901019—
14h—97624 NE37 NNE41 NNE17071.00%98%27.315.701016—
17h—47719 NNE19 NNE19 NNE4860.00%99%26.917.501013—
Thu 1ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h—47731 NNW31 NNW31 NNW4850.00%81%14.911.901018—
11h—47739 NNW56 NNW67 N6801.00%96%20.114.101016—
14h—61931 NW46 NNW56 NNW9151.00%98%23.51601013—
17h—47726 WNW31 WNW35 WNW7231.00%99%18.513.701015—
Fri 2ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h—4774 NNW6 WNW6 WNW6050.060%84%12.710.801021—
11h—4777 SSE6 S6 WSW9851.0100%20%1411.601021—
14h—89513 SSW13 SSW9 SSW13002.0100%44%16.312.301018—
17h—47720 SSW26 SSW24 S9891.0100%15%14.712.701019—
Sat 3ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h—47724 S28 SSE31 SSE6421.07%100%11.46.401023—
11h—1,53028 SE28 SE22 ESE19443.081%99%17.46.201022—
14h—1,88322 SE24 ESE20 E24523.0100%61%19.45.701020—
17h—1,62224 E22 E13 E22772.088%89%19.66.601018—
Sun 4ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h🤔—8 E——————16.8—01021✓
11h🤔—10 ENE——————23.7—01020✓
14h🤔—9 ESE——————26.8—01017✓
17h——6 SSE——————26.5—01015—
Mon 5ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h——2 WNW——————20.4—01014—
11h——7 NW——————27.7—01012—
14h——14 WNW——————30.9—01009—
17h——17 WSW——————26.2—01009—

Used when the wind at Porterville is over the back (easterly).

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Hazards & cautions

An easterly here can be a berg wind, with gusts, turbulence and dust devils that are easy to underestimate in strength aloft; in a southerly, the gully in front of launch produces turbulence.

Launch & landing

Launch from beside the road or a small cleared area a short walk uphill through the bush — about 200m above the base (500m ASL, ceiling 450m ASL military / 2100m ASL civilian). Land in the uncultivated fields near the base of the pass, watching for powerlines and telephone lines crossing some of the fields to the left.

Access

Via the N1 then N7 to Piketberg, then north through town toward Versveld Pass.

Background

A flight of roughly 32km north is recorded from this site (Craig Richards, October 1999).

Flying conditions

Wind recommendation

SE - NE

Flyable directions

NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE

Wind speed range

0–18 km/h

Air School training site

Yes

Quick facts

Grade
Basic
Region
Swartland
Distance from Cape Town
122 km (straight-line)
Coordinates
-32.8551°S, 18.7368°E
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Want to train at a site like this?

See Beginner Course

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