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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Coastal hikes in South Africa

by Ralph Pina | Aug 22, 2018 | Addo Elephant National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve, hiking, Hluleka Wildlife Reserve, Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, Table Mountain National Park, Tsitsikamma National Park, West Coast National Park

Here is a guide to the South African coastal hikes I have had the privilege of experiencing. Hopefully it is useful to those who are planning to walk our beautiful and diverse coastline. The list starts at the north-eastern-most trail - the Pondo Trail from Mkambati...

Gentle adventures in the Canadian Rockies

by Ralph Pina | Aug 9, 2018 | Banff National Park, Canada, Kootenay National Park

This year the nature of our mid-winter break was more commensurate with our newly-minted status of grandparents. From the moment little Elena was born in Calgary, there was only going to be one destination. Fortunately Calgary is an hour's drive from the Rockies and...

Groot-Gouritz MTB Tour 2018

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...

Skeletons, tables, castles and caves

by Ralph Pina | Feb 25, 2018 | hiking, Table Mountain National Park

As I lie here recovering from spinal surgery, I thought I would post about my last hike of any consequence before the double bout with operating theatres, one planned and the other not. Santie organised this classic route ascending Skeleton Gorge from Kirstenbosch...