Ralph Pina
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Victoria Peak with the Patagons

by Ralph Pina | Sep 4, 2010 | hiking, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, scenic walks, trails

At the beginning of the week that I finally became a member of the Mountain Club of SA, some of the Patagonian trekkers and I headed for Victoria Peak, the highest peak in the Jonkershoek mountains. It was a warm day with high cloud and haze and no wind. Pretty...

Climbing Haelkop, Jonkershoek

by Ralph Pina | May 9, 2010 | hiking, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, trails

Another mountain club uitstappie to Haelkop peak (1390 m), one of the loftier peaks that rim the Jonkershoek valley. The route upwards to the watershed north of Haelkop is a fairly easy, yet relentlessly uphill, hike. Near the top the gradients steepen markedly. From...

Climbing Twin Peaks, Jonkershoek

by Ralph Pina | Apr 21, 2010 | hiking, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, trails

Climbing Jonkershoek’s Twin Peaks (“Die Pieke”) is one of the outdoor experiences in the Jonkershoek mountains. On this occasion I went with the mountain club (MCSA) on the “uitstappie”. An uitstappie is one of those wonderfully...
VWS Jonkershoek firefighters in the Franschhoek mountains

VWS Jonkershoek firefighters in the Franschhoek mountains

by Ralph Pina | Feb 9, 2010 | conservation, firefighting, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve

Unfortunately – and unsurprisingly – my words were prescient: it has indeed become an “interesting” summer in the Boland mountains. Since December Volunteer Wildfire Services Jonkershoek (VWS-JNK) has been called out at least 6 times to fires...

Volunteer Wildfire Services Jonkershoek

by Ralph Pina | Dec 14, 2009 | conservation, firefighting, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve

As I was contemplating a short post about the Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS), and specifically its rookie branch in the Jonkershoek valley, we were called out to mop up a plantation fire above Rozendal yesterday at around 6 pm. It was our first op since 27...

Jonkershoek colour explosion

by Ralph Pina | Nov 1, 2009 | Jonkershoek Nature Reserve

Photos of the Watsonias in Jonkershoek after the big summer fire and the winter rains. Deon and I took a cycle up the valley to capture them before the summer winds take their toll.  
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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

  • 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
  • Betty’s Bay to Rooiels
  • Klein Hangklip

Recent Comments

  • Marc on A walk on the Wild Coast
  • Jaap de Lange on The Postberg Trail
  • Ralph Pina on Namaqualand coast hike
  • Marius Janse Van Rensburg on Boegoekloof Circuit Boland Trail
  • Ralph Pina on Namaqualand coast hike

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Recent Posts

  • 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
  • Betty’s Bay to Rooiels
  • Klein Hangklip
  • Five days in Groot Winterhoek
  • To the Rooiels source
  • Rooiels River walk
  • Pipe Track to Hout Bay Corner
  • A farewell to Stellenbosch Mountain
  • Recces and repeats
  • Simonsberg
  • Smitswinkel – Simon’s Town Traverse
  • The Kogelberg Trail
  • Twelve Apostles Traverse
  • Tankwa Cycle Tour
  • Orange Face Back Table
  • Dropping down Cascades

Recent Comments

  • Marc on A walk on the Wild Coast
  • Jaap de Lange on The Postberg Trail
  • Ralph Pina on Namaqualand coast hike
  • Marius Janse Van Rensburg on Boegoekloof Circuit Boland Trail
  • Ralph Pina on Namaqualand coast hike
December 2023
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Recent Posts

  • Karoo corridor MTB tour
  • A walk on the Wild Coast
  • A northern Kruger cultural safari
  • Twelve Apostles loop
  • Balloch High Rim hike

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