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Kasteelkop & Nek

Kasteelskop is a rocky hill above Fairy Glen and below the Three Sisters that resembles a castle turret. It also features a castellated ridge from a certain angle. Our pleasant hike took in the kop and the nek (saddle) that separates it from the higher Three Sisters...

Three Sisters hike

The Three Sisters trail at Kleinmond is described as "challenging" and "moderate" on various websites and trails apps, opinions determined by the abilities and experience of the respective authors, I assume. I would advise that you be conditioned for hiking and be...

Up the Cascades

Cascades is a perennial summer outing on the Mountain Club's calendar. Either members scramble up the gorge, skirting the waterfalls, or they abseil down the gorge through the waterfalls - often doing both in a single weekend. I have abseiled it before, but this was...

Erdvark Trail

Central Karoo The Erdvark Trail is located roughly 45 km west of the Karoo National Park. It winds up and through the foothills, valleys and tablelands of the escarpment, where the Karoo's Koup ramps up to the Hoogland Karoo, in a great circuit some 67.8 km in length....

Rod’s Trail, Betty’s Bay

Rod's Trail is an easy 9 km circular, scenic walk that follows the base of the Kogelberg mountains above Betty's Bay, then meanders down to the coast to return along the beach than forms part of the Betty's Bay Marine Protected Area. Gain in elevation is negligible....
Zebra stripes and yellow streaks

Zebra stripes and yellow streaks

The MCSA Stellenbosch's first official post-lockdown outing was a weekend hike to Zebra Peak (1458m ASL; Sebrakop on national geo-spatial maps) on Piketberg. It is located on private land on the plateau rim, north-east of most of the cultivated lands. With the...

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HH Epic Trail

HH Epic Trail

Hepic Trail for short. The Hepic is a private hiking trail that follows the route of the original Epic cycle trail above the railway line that snakes out of the Helderberg bowl. It is located north-east of the Gantouw Pass below Hanskop. Access has to be arranged...

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Turret Peak mission

Turret Peak mission

Koue Bokkeveld mountains In 2009 the inaugural Rim of Africa mega-hike was aborted two days shy of our destination, Turret Peak, due to adverse weather. By then we had been on trail for 10 or 11 days. But I have always wanted to eventually get to Turret Peak, so when...

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Picnic at Hangklip

Picnic at Hangklip

The unmistakable Hangklip (hanging rock) peak is in the Hangklip Core Conservation Area, one of many such areas in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. It is a nature gem wedged between the growing and ugly sprawl of Pringle Bay and Betty's Bay residential areas. The...

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Gantouw Pass

Gantouw Pass

Recently I have been stalking the Cape Town - Elgin heritage steam train on Saturdays to shoot drone video as it winds its way up Sir Lowry´s Pass - sometimes without success either because of excessive wind or arriving either too early or too late for the train. On...

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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..

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