The drive up the hill can be done in a bakkie or a high clearance vehicle, (do not need 4x4 or diff lock) as all the corners and steep bits have been concreted. It took us 20 mins from the farm to the top of Steenboksberg which is about the same as koringberg, however it is a lot higher. The mountain is an isolated ridge running in an east-west direction.

The view from the top is really awesome as you are almost 500m above LZ on both sides. The take off from the south side is easy, being very similar to groot kanonkop with grassy type fynbos and lots of layout space. The take off on the north side is a little more rocky with quite a shallow gradient so a little more difficult. However, I did fly off the north side and take off was easier than expected as you lift off quite quickly. I would think both sides are fine for basic pilots. Hence you can fly both sides in almost any direction of wind with a North or south component. There seems to be a great network of roads around the mountain as well. There is a ring road all the way around the base of Steenboksberg and for cross country there is the N2, R320 and the roads to Bredasdorp, Hermanus, etc.

Download an MP4 (Quicktime) video of launch HERE

Download a Google Earth location file HERE

I think a post frontal SW would probably be the best for take off and cross country potential, sending you straight down N2 towards Swellendam and then to George. However, I took off on sunday in an almost direct easterly (the worst wind and direction)  from the northern side and I still climbed to 1100masl, and managed to fly a few km. The view up there was really awesome because you can see the sea over the hemmel en aarde valley, and you have flatlands in all directions with the riviersonderend and Langeberg mountains in the distance. It is not in any airspace directly, but Bredasdorp airspace starts a few km to the SE of the Mountain, so if you flew in a SE direction (NW wind) you would have to phone in/radio for permission. SW direction is clear until George I think?

I have attached a Google kmz file with relevant markers. There are also some alternative takeoffs close by, in particular the rubbish dump at Caledon which works in NW, the take off on the woorhoede 4x4 trial in swartberg mountians, and hermanus is quite close too. The takeoff on the R320 could also work but is quite low and works only in southerly directions. there is attached a short video of take off at steenboksberg.

So the short and sweet of it all was that I was very impressed with it as a site, and I think it will make for a very interesting flyaway. The site gives us access to the Riveirsondered/Swellendam flatlands where I have watched cumulus clouds drift over my head many times on the way to wilderness. The site is approximately 1.5 hours from cape town and 3 hours from wilderness. 

About the Aispace (added by Greg Hamerton)
If you want to fly E, you must first phone Bredasdorp Airforce base and get clearance first (which will only happen if they are inactive). They usually don't fly on the weekends, they usually DO have activity during the week. Paul Edgar 072 723 0463 or Willie Lombard 084 8599776.