by Ralph Pina | Aug 9, 2018 | Banff National Park, Canada, Kootenay National Park
This year the nature of our mid-winter break was more commensurate with our newly-minted status of grandparents. From the moment little Elena was born in Calgary, there was only going to be one destination. Fortunately Calgary is an hour’s drive from the Rockies... 
by Ralph Pina | Apr 25, 2018 | cycling, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve, Rooiberg Nature Reserve, Swartberg Nature Reserve
By popular demand we arranged another private MTB tour aimed at occasional cyclists, and not racers. The format was the same: reasonable daily distances, emphasis on touring and taking in the scenery, backup vehicles trailing us, plenty of stops and camping all the... 
by Ralph Pina | Feb 25, 2018 | hiking, Table Mountain National Park
As I lie here recovering from spinal surgery, I thought I would post about my last hike of any consequence before the double bout with operating theatres, one planned and the other not. Santie organised this classic route ascending Skeleton Gorge from Kirstenbosch... 
by Ralph Pina | Jan 4, 2018 | hiking, Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve
Gordon’s Bay was our family’s beach during the ’50s and ’60s. We spent many playful hours in its warm waters, holidaying at Thelma’s Guesthouse – now long gone – and watching the fishing boats in the old harbour. The black and... 
by Ralph Pina | Dec 26, 2017 | kloofing, Matroosberg
Traversing the Matroosberg from the Ceres side to the Hex River valley Paul Verhoeven proposed and led this 3-day kloofing trip as a more “sedate” version of the usual MCSA two-day dash down the kloof. Groothoekkloof descends rapidly from the ski slopes of...
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