The mountain is covered in green forest on its lower slopes, where birds call from the trees and cool mist drifts through the branches. As you climb higher, the trees become shorter and the air feels crisper and fresher. Near the very top, the ground is rocky and open, and you really feel like you are on top of the world.
Many Timorese families make a special walk up the mountain at dawn to watch the sunrise. Pilgrims carry lanterns along the winding path in the dark, and when the sun finally comes up over the horizon it turns the sky pink, orange and gold all at once. It is one of the most beautiful sights in the whole country.
From the summit you can sometimes spot the island of Atauro out to sea on one side and the high ridges of the island's central spine on the other. Hikers say the silence at the top, broken only by wind and birdsong, is something they never forget.
The mountain is home to wildlife that loves cool mountain air, including several kinds of bird found nowhere else on Earth. Local guides know every trail and can point out the tiny plants and insects that survive in this high, chilly world.