Lions Head (Cape Town)
📍 Western Cape , City of Cape Town · Nearest city: Cape Town (4 km)
38 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 403 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
-33.93810, 18.38820Forecast next days
Updated: 2026-04-21 01:59 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo · Thermal window 10:00–18:00 local time
Not recommended for flying, cloud base ~465 m, wind 23 km/h, precipitation 8.0 mm.
base ~465m · wind 23 km/h · precip 8.0mmNot recommended for flying, cloud base ~959 m, strong wind (35 km/h).
base ~959m · wind 35 km/hMarginal conditions, cloud base ~1365 m, wind 7 km/h.
base ~1365m · wind 7 km/hComposite flyability score (CAPE + LI + wind + precip + low clouds). Cross-check with local pilots before flying.
🌬 Daily wind (next days)
Daily summary (10m wind). Full hour × altitude chart is being added progressively.
Takeoff orientations
Green = good orientation · Yellow = possible · Gray = not suitable
Why this site has thermal potential
| Factor | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot density (5 km) | 3 | Medium |
| Avg thermal probability | 0.88 | Based on thousands of aggregated IGC flights |
| Solar orientation | 0.05 | Slope faces north in southern hemisphere |
| Own flight history | 0.00 | Thermals detected in platform IGC tracks |
Takeoff description
'Lower launch' is reached after a 10 minute walk, where the path narrows from a jeep-track width into a hiking track. It is a challenging launch through a silver-leaf tree grove from a short net-covered runoff. Be meticulous in your layout and pre-flight checks. This is where to launch if it is soarable and SW. The 'Top site' is reached after another 10 minutes of brisk walking. It is NOT on the top of Lion's Head! It's below the cliffs on the NW side. The path is slightly hard to spot on the first pass if you're not following a local, as it's a couple of steps up rocks. Lion's Head is a rocky launch site that is both steep and loose underfoot, though the loose rocks are contained under a tight green net that has been stretched over the launch area (weak ankles, beware). The launch is steep enough that your wing is, between cycles, likely to slide down the netted hill towards you. The wind is usually cross from the left here and there's a significant drop-off a couple of feet from the bottom of the netted area, making good ground-handling and committed launch techniques essential for a safe get-away.
Rules and notes
Ceiling at 1200m ASL. More info here: http://www.eternitypress.com/freshair/lions_head.htm
Pilot comments
Spectacular coastal flying. Sometimes when it's just right you can fly across to Table Mountain, get up and fly all the way down the Twelve Apostles. Soaring. Home of the Glen Paragliding Club, a consistent and beautiful site to fly, offering a panorama of Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles. In the afternoon, Lion's Head heats up and generates a thermal, upslope breeze. Best flying is from 3pm onwards during wind-shadow conditions. Parking is on the back (Cape Town side) of Lion's Head, and then a stiff hike is required up the gravel road and around to the front side. Because of the spire-shape of the peak, the wind diverges around it, causing a strong increase in wind speed at both takeoff sites when it is soarable. The wind is usually crossed from the left (S) at the topside and very strong, and crossed from the right (NW) at the lower site. Please don't pioneer a new launch site somewhere else on the mountain as it is a Nature Reserve. HG: get permission to drive a 4x4 up to the launch site. Contact the Nature Conservation office (RHS of Signal Hill road on way up).
Nearby sites
Signal Hill Bench (50) · Fly Cape Town Paragliding (5) · Table Mountain (48) · Constantiaberg (37) · Llandudno (42) · Noordhoek Peak (38)