Mount Ramelau
Timor-Leste · Ainaro · 2986 m
Description
Mount Ramelau is the highest point in Timor-Leste at just under three thousand metres and the country's one classic climb, started from the village of Hatobuilico in the dark so that the summit is reached at dawn. A white statue of the Virgin Mary stands on top, carried up in pieces in the seventies, and the walk is a pilgrimage as much as a hike, with thousands climbing in October. From the summit both coasts of the island are visible at once when the air is clear, and the cloud lies below in a solid floor. The climb takes three hours up and two down.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Dawn summit and the Virgin Mary statue
- Both coasts visible from the top
- October pilgrimage up the mountain (approx. October)
- Hatobuilico village guesthouses
- Sea of cloud below the summit ridge
- Night start by headtorch
- Eucalyptus and highland grassland on the ascent
- Timor sparrow and highland birds