BasicUsed for solo student progression flights.

Paragliding
Piketberg

Swartland, Western Cape

Today

Not flyable

17 km/h S · not flyable

FlyableStudent safeWind dirNo fogNo rain

Best window this week

Fri 23 · 08h00 · 🤔 1 stars · 477m topsStudent safe

Soarable tops — 7-day

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

p75 1508mp95 2014m1188mFri 16666mSat 171220mSun 181956mMon 191566mTue 20734mWed 21734mThu 22477mFri 23
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
Fri 16ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h—47711 NNW9 NNW9 NNW4850.00%84%16.79.701016—
11h—1,04211 WNW19 NW30 NNW13822.00%97%24.210.401015—
14h—1,18819 W24 NW37 NW15492.00%98%25.61201012—
17h—71620 W26 W28 WNW10821.00%92%22.111.501012—
Sat 17ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h—4777 NW6 NW6 NW4850.00%6%13.313.201018—
11h—47717 SW19 SW17 SW8321.0100%14%14.21301019—
14h—66617 S22 S19 S9901.0100%24%14.611.901019—
17h—47719 SSW22 S19 S9801.0100%26%141101018—
Sun 18ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h—47717 WSW20 WSW20 SW6501.0100%15%9.68.501018—
11h—60713 SW15 SW13 SSW9451.0100%22%11.89.201018—
14h—1,22013 SW13 SW15 W15942.073%70%14.79.201017—
17h—47724 SSW33 SSW30 SSW14151.0100%12%12.87.901017—
Mon 19ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h—4776 S11 S17 S7511.07%89%8.74.301024—
11h—1,45713 SSE15 S19 SSE18533.00%97%14.13.601023—
14h—1,95613 SSW9 SSW7 S24713.00%98%17.33.401020—
17h—1,57211 SW9 SW2 ENE21882.00%99%17.12.101019—
Tue 20ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h—73413 S13 S13 S9851.00%100%9.23.201019—
11h—1,5669 S6 WSW15 WNW19083.02%98%131.301017—
14h—1,82119 WSW11 W13 N22203.00%94%16.1-2.201015—
17h—1,31226 SW20 SW4 SSW16912.00%87%15.40.701014—
Wed 21FogStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h—73431 NNW33 NNW37 NW8721.093%15%8.36.301017—
11h—73435 NW37 NW39 NW9631.0100%21%10.37.501017—
14h—73437 NW41 NW43 NW10391.0100%20%12.710.801016—
17h—73431 NW33 NW39 NW8280.0100%7%11.611.401016—
Thu 22ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h—73413 NW13 WNW13 WNW8400.0100%12%11.3110——
11h—7346 WNW7 W11 W11931.0100%17%13.310.30——
14h—73411 NW11 WNW11 W12281.0100%15%14.6110——
17h—73413 WSW13 WSW15 WSW11451.071%18%15.210.70——
Fri 23ClearStarsTops (m)Sfc WindBL WindBL TopBL Ht (m)Thermal (m/s)BL Cloud %Sun %Temp (°C)Dewpt (°C)Rain (mm)Pres (hPa)Student
08h🤔4777 SE7 SE9 ESE6741.00%100%16.690—✓
11h—1,6987 SSE6 S11 SSW21583.029%100%22.16.80——
14h—1,99711 S7 SSW7 W25223.020%97%25.25.50——
17h—1,55724 SSW15 S7 E21372.00%87%25.55.30——

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

Ready to fly?

Your first solo flight is three sessions away. The beginner course is available year-round — gear, sites, and SAHPA registration all included.

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