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Fighting the Kogelberg fire

Fighting the Kogelberg fire

by Ralph Pina | Mar 21, 2011 | conservation, firefighting, Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve

The latest fire that swept through the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve last week was nothing short of disastrous. Young veld burnt again and all the eleven-year old veld has been destroyed, so that, in the words of a nature conservation official, “everything between...
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...

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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  • Gamkaberg Plan B
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Hiking sites I like

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Recent Posts

  • 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
  • Baviaanskloof Cycle Tour 2022

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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Recent Posts

  • Perdeberg hike
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  • Three Sisters hike
  • Up the Cascades
  • Erdvark Trail

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