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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

  • 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

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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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
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Archives

Recent Posts

  • 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
  • Balloch High Rim hike
  • Namaqualand coast hike
  • Miaspoort Trail to Huguenot Peak
  • Boating the Lot River
  • Cycling Connemara

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
July 2025
MTWTFSS
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031 
« Jun    

Recent Posts

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

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