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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Sisyphean torture at the border

by Ralph Pina | Jul 8, 2015 | Victoria Falls, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Crossing into Zambia at the Kazungula Ferry took upwards of 2 hours. Not that there was a queue for the ferry because we literally drove in and on board. By contrast there was a truck queue of kms, where truckers can stand for up to 5 days (the ferry can only ship...

Overland safari 2015: Bowing to Baines

by Ralph Pina | Jun 27, 2015 | Botswana, Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Makgadikgadi NP, Nxai Pan NP, safari travel

"Yesterday was epic. After a great drive across the pans and stay at Kubu Island, our convoy weaved through the woodland following myriad sand tracks, some drivers paying more heed to the instructions of Doris on the GPS, who I am sure had no clue which of the next...

Mountain pass descent hyperlapse videos

by Ralph Pina | Jun 13, 2015 | Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve, cycling, Swartberg Nature Reserve

These three short hyperlapse videos of mountain pass descents on our recent Karoo MTB Tour were made by passing the GoPro Hero 4 Black clips through Microsoft's Hyperlapse Pro software. Descent of Holgat Pass in the Baviaanskloof: Descent of Bosluiskloof Pass on the...

Finding and losing the old Limietberg Trail

by Ralph Pina | Jun 7, 2015 | hiking, Limietberg Nature Reserve, trails

Many years ago I "introduced" my young daughters to overnight hiking on the old Limietberg Trail from Hawequas to the old trail hut near Bainskloof village (day 2 of the trail continued to Tweede Tol). A hot February day and a long trail conspired to turn that...