Van Rhyn's Pass

Below the road on the last bend in the pass, is a small, steeply sloped cleared patch amongst the desert scrub.

Soaring and thermal. 350km north of Cape Town, the Van Rhyn's Pass scribes a line up the plateau that forms the gateway to the Karoo semi-desert wilderness. Soarable in winter, and extremely thermal in summer, this is a site remarkable for its desolate beauty, and the remote charm of the little village of Nieuwoudtville behind. There is typically an inversion layer 350m above takeoff, although if you break through this, there is fantastic XC potential heading east across the plateau towards Calvinia.

Takeoff altitude: 734m