by Ralph Pina | Jun 2, 2024 | cycling, safari travel, Swartberg Nature Reserve
Completed by Thomas Bain and his team of convicts in 1888, the Swartberg Pass is now 136 years old, a national monument and a testament to Bain’s road-building skills. It winds through 23.8 km and the bulk of it traverses the Swartberg Nature Reserve, linking... 
by Ralph Pina | Nov 28, 2023 | Anysberg Nature Reserve, cycling, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, Swartberg Nature Reserve, Touwsberg Nature Reserve
Mitzi, Marion’s sister-in-law, owner of Makadas Adventures, planned this private cycling tour, and I assume, dubbed it the “Karoo corridor” too. In 5 days most of us covered 265 km, climbing through 2942 m and descending 2957 m. Some rode more and... 
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 | Jul 26, 2016 | Bontebok National Park, cycling, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Garden Route National Park, Swartberg Nature Reserve, Tsitsikamma National Park
Our mid-winter tour of the Garden Route and Little Karoo ran the gamut of weather from crystal-clear, windless days to fierce storms, from balmy Karoo days to icy nights. We set off to take the roads less travelled and to stay at least two nights in a place to get a... by Ralph Pina | May 7, 2016 | hiking, Swartberg Nature Reserve, trails
The Swartberge – the black mountains – are literally black now. A recent fire, the second in quick succession, has charred them. The other wildfire a few years ago destroyed the third hiking hut so that the trail has had to be adapted to use only two huts... by Ralph Pina | Jun 13, 2015 | Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve, cycling, Swartberg Nature Reserve
These three short hyperlapse videos of mountain pass descents on our recent Karoo MTB Tour were made by passing the GoPro Hero 4 Black clips through Microsoft’s Hyperlapse Pro software. Descent of Holgat Pass in the Baviaanskloof: Descent of Bosluiskloof Pass on...
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