Ralph Pina
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Simonstown to Smitswinkel on foot

by Ralph Pina | Oct 19, 2010 | hiking, scenic walks, Table Mountain National Park, trails

We took the Old Mule Trail up to Blockhouse Gap where two old blockhouses slowly weather away. Apparently the blockhouses were built at the beginning of World War I to guard the eastern approach through the nek to the naval ammunitions magazines that scar the high...

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...

Kayak Rooiels-Pringle Bay, Kogelberg Coast

by Ralph Pina | May 30, 2010 | kayaking, Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve

On this crisp morning, Deon and I launched at Rooiels and paddled out to look for the first Southern Right whales of the season, but it seems it’s still too early. So we settled for a paddle down the coast to Pringle Bay and brunch. A fairly heavy swell was...

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...
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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
  • AasvoĆ«lkrans 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

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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
  • AasvoĆ«lkrans 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
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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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