Day three hiking the incredible but rarely walked Timor-Leste Coast2Coast, crossing this beautiful country. I was ably supported by a great crew from Eco Discovery, who are one of the few tour operators in Timor-Leste to run trips like this.

This was the biggest day yet, 14km up over 1,000m, though it was getting a little cooler we as gained altitude, though still much warmer than I’ve been at similar altitudes in Europe or New Zealand. We were treated by a lovely sunrise in Hahulo Ramsu.

There were lots of traditional Timorese thatched buildings in the village.

We headed out along some rocky sections.

Before spending the morning climbing steadily through beautiful forest.

This water system was quite nifty.

After a long climb we reached a saddle and there was Mt Ramelau / Tatamailau! At 2,986m, it is the highest point in the country, and considered sacred by Timorese.

The saddle was just below the summit of the 2,369m Mt Maubo, which was topped by an impressive concrete cross.

There were incredible views from the summit.

We headed along a ridgeline offering different foregrounds for Mt Ramelau / Tatamailau in the distance.

There was an interesting tree on the ridge, and lush views.

We set up camp with views of Mt Ramelau / Tatamailau and rolling clouds in the distance, and were treated to a lovely sunset.

Unfortunately this was followed by an epic storm which at 3am flattened most of our campsite and resulted in pretty much everything we had being wet. So instead of spending the next day hiking to the summit of Mt Ramelau / Tatamailau we loaded up the support vehicle and headed to Hatu Builico to stay in a guesthouse for a couple of nights. The first day it was raining and everything needed drying, so it became a rest day. The following day the weather improved significantly and the next blog post continues the story.

For the detailed route and logistical information please select this hike below (click top left for the list of hikes).