Ralph Pina
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A farewell to Stellenbosch Mountain

A farewell to Stellenbosch Mountain

by Ralph Pina | Oct 29, 2021 | hiking, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve

After 34 years of living and working in Stellenbosch, not to mention 4 years as students here, we are preparing to move to the Kogelberg coast for the next phase of our lives. Although I don’t have any notion of deliberately taking leave of familiar peaks and...
Recces and repeats

Recces and repeats

by Ralph Pina | Oct 15, 2021 | conservation, hiking, Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park

I haven’t posted in a while, so those who believe that if an outdoor activity hasn’t been posted on digital media somewhere then it didn’t occur, might think that I have been idle. Although there have been other distractions – like grandkids...
Berg River Dam to Jonkershoek traverse

Berg River Dam to Jonkershoek traverse

by Ralph Pina | Sep 8, 2020 | hiking, Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve

Via Assegaaiboschkloof With Santie having proposed another springtime foray into Assegaaiboschkloof to view the blushing brides in bloom, I misguidedly proposed a refinement to the hike: why not start at the Berg River Dam and continue over Bergriviersnek to...
Botmaskop fly-past

Botmaskop fly-past

by Ralph Pina | Jun 11, 2020 | Jonkershoek Nature Reserve

Nobody said I couldn’t fly the drone past Botmaskop while in lockdown, so here’s a short clip of a virtual...
Hunting in Assegaaiboschkloof

Hunting in Assegaaiboschkloof

by Ralph Pina | Sep 11, 2019 | conservation, hiking, Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve

It’s spring in the Cape and Santie decided that she wanted to hunt a wild population of blushing brides (Serruria florida) in Assegaaiboschkloof, the valley in which the Berg River rises before it drains into the Berg River Dam. So Santie, Magdel and I set off with a...
A pristine winter’s day on Victoria Peak

A pristine winter’s day on Victoria Peak

by Ralph Pina | Sep 1, 2019 | hiking, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve

At 1589 m ASL Victoria Peak is the highest summit in the Jonkershoek range. From the grassy dome one can see Table Mountain beyond Stellenbosch Mountain and Haelkop, south over the Groenland mountains above Grabouw and Elgin, the blue – and once more spreading...
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Welcome to RalphPina.com

Thank you for visiting my outdoor blog. RalphPina.com documents my experiences over many years of appreciating, and adventuring in, Nature. It celebrates visual beauty, advocates minimal impact, reflects on humans’ relationship with our ecosphere, spans the planet but focuses on the wild diversity of southern Africa. Photos, videos and GPS maps of hiking, cycling, kayaking, abseiling, canoeing and windsurfing..

Recent Posts

  • Perdeberg hike
  • Kasteelkop & Nek
  • Three Sisters hike
  • Up the Cascades
  • Erdvark Trail
  • Rod’s Trail, Betty’s Bay
  • Spanning the red stone arches
  • Gamkaberg Plan B
  • Fonteintjiesberg
  • Swartberg Pass over the years
  • Cape of Good Hope Trail once again
  • Fairy Glen – Plateau – Kasteelkopnek trail

Recent Comments

  • Ralph Pina on To the Rooiels source
  • Amadeus Rieck on Fighting aliens in De Hoop
  • Sonja Schäfer on Erdvark Trail
  • Gerard Scholtz on Erdvark Trail
  • Peter Breitenbach on Rooielsberg peak

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Analytics

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Friends

  • A friend cycles around the world
  • Nomadic NAMAS
  • Peter Groves
  • Santie Gouws Mountain Walking Guide

Good Causes

  • Fire Information System for SA
  • The Cape Leopard Trust

Hiking sites I like

  • Boots and Fins
  • Ian Webb's Great Hikes in the Western Cape
  • Jacques Niemand – interesting hikes
  • Maps – Hike the Cederberg
  • Mountain Club of SA Stellenbosch Section
  • Mountain Meanders

Mountain & Hiking guides

  • Nomadic NAMAS
  • Santie Gouws Mountain Walking Guide

Parks

  • Cape Nature
  • SANParks

Archives

Recent Posts

  • Perdeberg hike
  • Kasteelkop & Nek
  • Three Sisters hike
  • Up the Cascades
  • Erdvark Trail
  • Rod’s Trail, Betty’s Bay
  • Spanning the red stone arches
  • Gamkaberg Plan B
  • Fonteintjiesberg
  • Swartberg Pass over the years
  • Cape of Good Hope Trail once again
  • Fairy Glen – Plateau – Kasteelkopnek trail
  • Smitswinkel – Simon’s Town recce
  • Paddling with wild horses
  • Rooielsberg peak
  • Karoo corridor MTB tour
  • A walk on the Wild Coast
  • A northern Kruger cultural safari
  • Twelve Apostles loop
  • Balloch High Rim hike
  • Namaqualand coast hike
  • Miaspoort Trail to Huguenot Peak
  • Boating the Lot River
  • Cycling Connemara
  • Baviaanskloof Cycle Tour 2022

Recent Comments

  • Ralph Pina on To the Rooiels source
  • Amadeus Rieck on Fighting aliens in De Hoop
  • Sonja Schäfer on Erdvark Trail
  • Gerard Scholtz on Erdvark Trail
  • Peter Breitenbach on Rooielsberg peak
June 2025
MTWTFSS
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30 
« May    

Recent Posts

  • Perdeberg hike
  • Kasteelkop & Nek
  • Three Sisters hike
  • Up the Cascades
  • Erdvark Trail

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