Ralph Pina
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Botmaskop-Saaltjie Traverse

Botmaskop-Saaltjie Traverse

by Ralph Pina | Jun 13, 2026 | Featured Posts, hiking, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve

I recall an old Stellenbosch Mountain Club greybeard once telling me that in his day Botmaskop was never regarded as a proper mountain. Well, almost 900 m in elevation gain, albeit along the whole ridge, qualifies in my book. It seems as one progresses along...
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 hike:
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...
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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

  • Botmaskop-Saaltjie Traverse
  • Springstygbeugel
  • Helderberg West Peak
  • Botanising trilogy
  • Grootkop
  • Aasvoëlkrans Hiking Trail
  • Perdeberg hike
  • Kasteelkop & Nek
  • Three Sisters hike
  • Up the Cascades
  • Erdvark Trail
  • Rod’s Trail, Betty’s Bay

Recent Comments

  • Pam Wijnberg on Grootkop
  • Flip van Schalkwyk on Gantouw Pass
  • Joachim Schultz on Witels – what else?
  • Piet Streicher on Hike above Kogelbaai
  • Ralph Pina on Smitswinkel – Simon’s Town Traverse

Navigate

July 2026
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Friends

  • A friend cycles around the world
  • 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

  • Santie Gouws Mountain Walking Guide

Parks

  • Cape Nature
  • SANParks

Archives

Recent Posts

  • Botmaskop-Saaltjie Traverse
  • Springstygbeugel
  • Helderberg West Peak
  • Botanising trilogy
  • Grootkop
  • Aasvoëlkrans Hiking Trail
  • 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

Recent Comments

  • Pam Wijnberg on Grootkop
  • Flip van Schalkwyk on Gantouw Pass
  • Joachim Schultz on Witels – what else?
  • Piet Streicher on Hike above Kogelbaai
  • Ralph Pina on Smitswinkel – Simon’s Town Traverse
July 2026
MTWTFSS
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031 
« Jun    

Recent Posts

  • Botmaskop-Saaltjie Traverse
  • Springstygbeugel
  • Helderberg West Peak
  • Botanising trilogy
  • Grootkop

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License except where otherwise indicated for some photos. Kindly attribute by linking to this site or citing “www.ralphpina.com”.

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