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Ralph Pina
Recent Posts
La Motte to Franschhoek Pass traverse
In typical MCSA Stellenbosch style: a couple of koppies (little hills) on this uitstappie (outing). The numbers tell the story: 12.25 km maximum slope: 58.2% minimum elevation: 240 m; maximum elevation: 1405 m elevation gain: 1472 m; elevation loss: 1008 m moving...
Franschhoek to Jonkershoek via Assegaaiboschkloof
The mountain club's plan was to walk from Franschhoek to Jonkershoek along the watershed via Emerald Dome and Victoria Peak. We would ascend Fortsnek and cross Noordkloofpiek, the scene of last year's firefighting. It promised to be a long, hard, but spectacular, day....
Fighting the Kogelberg fire
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...
Paddling up the Steenbras
There isn't actually much of the Steenbras River to paddle up, even on a kayak - only about 300 metres. Rather it's the 13 km round-trip paddle from Gordon's Bay harbour and the usually benign, but spectacular, rivermouth entrance that is most of the fun. On this last...

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