Paragliding
Piketberg
Swartland, Western Cape
Today
Marginal1 star — Marginal477m soarable · 9 km/h ENE
Best window this week
Tue 4 · 17h00 · 👍 2 stars · 734m topsStudent safe
Soarable tops — 7-day
Reference lines show historical 75th and 95th percentile for Piketberg.
▸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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 31Clear | 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 | — | 477 | 17 NNE | 15 NNE | 15 NNE | 485 | 0.0 | 0% | 33% | 11.6 | 3.8 | 0 | 1024 | — |
| 11h | — | 477 | 11 NE | 13 NNE | 15 NNE | 612 | 0.0 | 0% | 94% | 18.2 | 5.2 | 0 | 1023 | — |
| 14h | 🤔 | 477 | 7 E | 4 NE | 4 NNW | 1169 | 1.0 | 0% | 98% | 20.5 | 4.4 | 0 | 1021 | ✓ |
| 17h | — | 477 | 9 SSE | 9 SSE | 9 SSE | 485 | 0.0 | 0% | 90% | 18.3 | 10.8 | 0 | 1020 | — |
| Sat 1Clear | 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 | — | 477 | 19 NNE | 17 NNE | 17 NNE | 485 | 0.0 | 0% | 42% | 11.9 | 1.4 | 0 | 1020 | — |
| 11h | — | 477 | 11 NNE | 11 NNE | 11 NNE | 489 | 0.0 | 0% | 82% | 19.6 | 7.2 | 0 | 1021 | — |
| 14h | 🤔 | 477 | 9 ENE | 11 NNE | 13 N | 999 | 1.0 | 0% | 98% | 22.4 | 6.6 | 0 | 1019 | ✓ |
| 17h | — | 477 | 6 SSE | 6 SSE | 6 SSE | 485 | 0.0 | 0% | 100% | 20.5 | 13.7 | 0 | 1018 | — |
| Sun 2Clear | 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 | — | 477 | 19 NNW | 17 NNW | 17 NNW | 485 | 0.0 | 0% | 53% | 12.1 | 2.7 | 0 | 1019 | — |
| 11h | 🤔 | 477 | 6 NE | 7 NE | 9 NNE | 577 | 0.0 | 0% | 95% | 20 | 6 | 0 | 1020 | ✓ |
| 14h | — | 477 | 7 N | 19 NNW | 26 NNW | 1152 | 1.0 | 0% | 98% | 22.8 | 5.8 | 0 | 1017 | — |
| 17h | 🤔 | 477 | 6 E | 6 E | 4 ENE | 561 | 0.0 | 0% | 100% | 19.2 | 11 | 0 | 1017 | ✓ |
| Mon 3Clear | 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 | — | 477 | 19 NNW | 17 NNW | 17 NNW | 485 | 0.0 | 0% | 46% | 12.3 | 3.6 | 0 | 1017 | — |
| 11h | — | 477 | 7 NNE | 9 NNE | 13 N | 518 | 0.0 | 0% | 94% | 20.9 | 8.9 | 0 | 1016 | — |
| 14h | — | 477 | 6 NNE | 15 N | 22 N | 882 | 1.0 | 0% | 97% | 24 | 8.6 | 0 | 1013 | — |
| 17h | — | 477 | 9 SSW | 11 SSW | 13 SSW | 523 | 0.0 | 0% | 100% | 18.9 | 12.4 | 0 | 1013 | — |
| Tue 4Clear | 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 | — | 734 | 9 NW | 7 WNW | 7 WNW | 742 | 0.0 | 0% | 30% | 9.7 | 0.7 | 0 | 1015 | — |
| 11h | — | 734 | 2 N | 4 WNW | 7 WNW | 1026 | 1.0 | 0% | 93% | 15.1 | 3.4 | 0 | 1017 | — |
| 14h | — | 996 | 7 NW | 7 WNW | 9 WNW | 1294 | 1.0 | 0% | 82% | 17.1 | 3.5 | 0 | 1016 | — |
| 17h | 👍 | 734 | 7 E | 6 E | 4 NE | 1039 | 0.0 | 0% | 100% | 15.6 | 5.8 | 0 | 1015 | ✓ |
| Wed 5Clear | 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 | — | 734 | 17 NW | 15 NW | 17 NW | 789 | 0.0 | 80% | 32% | 5.6 | 4.7 | 0 | 1020 | — |
| 11h | — | 734 | 15 NW | 15 NW | 15 NW | 892 | 1.0 | 0% | 93% | 10.2 | 5.3 | 0 | 1020 | — |
| 14h | — | 825 | 19 NW | 19 NW | 22 WNW | 979 | 1.0 | 7% | 99% | 11.3 | 6.4 | 0 | 1019 | — |
| 17h | — | 734 | 26 NW | 26 NW | 26 NW | 960 | 1.0 | 64% | 100% | 10.6 | 7.8 | 0 | 1020 | — |
| Thu 6Clear | 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 | — | 477 | 13 N | 15 N | 19 NNW | 628 | 0.0 | 51% | 0% | 9.8 | 7.6 | 0 | — | — |
| 11h | — | 477 | 4 W | 4 W | 6 WNW | 630 | 0.0 | 82% | 5% | 10.2 | 8.5 | 0 | — | — |
| 14h | 👍 | 733 | 4 ENE | 6 ENE | 6 ENE | 985 | 2.0 | 93% | 99% | 13 | 9.6 | 0 | — | ✓ |
| 17h | — | 477 | 9 SSE | 7 SE | 6 ESE | 840 | 1.0 | 33% | 100% | 14 | 9.1 | 0 | — | — |
Used when the wind at Porterville is over the back (easterly).
Notice something outdated on this page? Let Ria know →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
Student site
Yes
Quick facts
- Grade
- Basic
- Region
- Swartland
- Distance from Cape Town
- 122 km (straight-line)
- Coordinates
- -32.8551°S, 18.7368°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