Facts

Elevation:	2,372 m (7,782 ft)	Prominence:	2,045 m
Ribu category:	Spesial	Province:	Timor Leste (East Timor)
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Bagging It!

The region

The alpine type Matabean mountains are probably the most rugged in Timor. Although lower than those in the Ramelau area, here you have a longer climb to get to the summit of Matebean Mane, the largest and southernmost of the two Matebean Mountains. The town of Baguia is only 400 meters above sea level.From Baguia you walk to the 1200 meter high mountain village of Uaiboro, nestled under the east cliffs of Matabean Mane. Then there is still a hard climb to the very rocky and exposed summit of this mountain. The two treks could be done as a 3-day walk, or three separate 1-day walks with overnight stays in Uaiboro.

The people in the Baguia area are Macasae and Nauoti and most speak Macasae and Indonesian. A minority speaks Tetum and Portuguese, very few speak English. This community still has a traditional system, with local chiefs and very strong family commitments. On the road to Baguia you will notice traditional elevated thatched houses. There is no trafficable road to the south coast. However a  two day walk or a  day on a cycle will get you to the Timor Sea (Tasi Mane).

Access

Buses and trucks to Baguia leave most days from above the upper market area of Bucau. The trip by 4WD takes three to four hours, in express mini bus four hours; the local three-ton trucks carry passengers and take about five hours due to many stops and the difficulty getting through damaged sections of the roadway.

On the north coast road 18 kilometers east of Baucau is the village of Laga. (Baguia is 43 kilometers by road to the south.) Travel to the east end of Laga. Just before the Lospalos Road drops down to the left off the plateau there is a turn off to the right. This broken road curves around fairly level to the right and heads south-east up through dry farmland, past two new traditional elevated thatched houses on the right. These overlook the Le Quinamo River 700 meters away down on the right hand side.

At the top of each of these traditional houses is Lulic, a secret area. The carved birds sitting at each end will bring the spirits through to this loft area called Gau where sacred objects are kept. This keeps the residents safe in the main part of the house. Only the head of the family is allowed into this top area. The building is supported on poles that are fitted with discs to prevent entry. The only access is via the front door up a removable ladder.

The road then drops down into the Laivai watershed with the river on the left hand side.

At the border between Laga and Baguia districts at a place called Ulilatta is a bridge over the Gomilafa River. Looking upstream through the rainforest the remains of an old stone bridge are visible with a 10 meter waterfall further upstream. This is a special area. After the rice harvest the local people bring a buffalo here and slaughter it. Then they feed the heart to the eel in the river. Prior to this the people are not allowed to swim here or they may come to harm. After feeding the eel it is OK to swim and this feeding also guarantees good rains and harvest for the next season.

The road then climbs up to cross into the southern watershed at an elevation of 460 meters, and into a wet fertile area with many terraced rice paddies. At Hiberi (38 kilometers from Laga) above the road on the right is the massive ruin of an old Portuguese school. This was destroyed in the 1940s.

Baguia: organising your trek

Once you have entered Baguia, at a right turn in the road is another large Portuguese ruin complete with battlements and dungeons. This was the district administration centre, where in 1959 the last uprising against the Portuguese colonizers took place with bloody reprisals against the Timorese. The main street runs east west facing straight up towards the high plains and Matebean Feto, the northern and smallest of the two Mount Matebeans.

The police station is half way up the hill on left opposite the school. Guide Lucio and his wife Apolinario( A policewoman) will welcome you and arrange accommodation. Martino at the guesthouse on the right at the top of the hill is able to provide meals and there is a kiosk opposite. Lucio should also be able to organize accommodation at Uaiboro (pronounced whyboro) or possibly a family stay elsewhere.Power lines are now being installed to Baguia ,this will allow the installation of a phone tower for the operation of mobile phones in the area.

Baguia is on an east-west ridge at an elevation of 400 meters. The sub-district of Baguia is 207 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 11,000: mostly Catholic farmers whose produce is consumed locally due to the high cost of transport to other markets. The only reliable means of communicating with the area is now the Police National Radio Network (Bagui phone number: 7181). Policewoman Apolinario De Costa Freitas is the wife of guide Lucio Freitas Salvador. They both speak English, and can be contacted through Dili police, 670 7230686 ext 6022. At present it is eaisest to contact Carlito Alves or Pedro Lebre in Dili to orginise your visit.

The locals are keen for travelers to visit the area.

Possible treks:

• A   From Ossohuna to Matebean Mane and return to Uaiboro.
• B   From Uaiboro north then north-west up over the high plains (an area of   rolling hills) to Matebean Feto, then back to Uaiboro (see Matabean Feto trek notes)
• C  Alternatively going east from Matebean Feto over the plains then down through hillside vegetable farms back to Baguia.

Matebean Mane is an extremely important and special place to the people of Timor as this is where the spirits and souls of the deceased reside. Please speak quietly whilst in the area, and show respect for this most sacred of places. Whilst on the mountain Timorese about to have a smoke will break some off and drop it on the ground to be shared with the mountain. Timor folklore holds that only the souls of the good go to Mt Matebean and as the Timorese consider cats the perfect animal they worry about the amount of room taken by their souls.Travelling around Timor Leste you will see many cats with a broken tail rendering  them imperfect.

Baguia to Ossohuna

Uaiboro is a three to four hour easy walk up from Baguia via Ossohuna. Walk up to the top of Baguia town toward the face of the mountains, on top of which are the grassy high plains. There is common land use by communities both east and west of these mountains. The people release cattle and horses to graze unattended. The broken bitumen road swings left and gently climbs up through vegetable-growing land above to the right; and down to the left are terraced rice paddies. Away to the south-east are views to the Timor Sea and the mouth of the Ireberi River, about 20 kilometers away.

It takes less than two hours to walk the seven kilometers up to the hamlet of Ossohuna  elevation 808 meters. A 4WD with aggressive tires and good driver can get to this point. This road ends about 4 kilometers further on to the south, although it is open to cyclists and walkers. Looking up and to the west from the verandah of the Ossohuna school is the summit of Matebean Mane. The track heads up to a saddle on the ridge line a little to the left of the main peak. This is the only route up the mountain from the 1210 meter high hamlet of Uaiboro (pronounced why-bore-oh) up ahead and nestled in against the massive east side of the mountain.

Alternative exit routes

From Ossohuna, if you’re on foot, there are three alternate exit routes:

( After  Ossahuna the bridges are broken and impassable by motor vehicle):

1 There is a steep track (not suitable for bikes) down to the west from the high ridge saddle near the top of the mountain where the church is, (the saddle is visible from the Ossahuna school), this leads down to Quelicai. From here a bus could be taken through to Baucau.

2 Travel west along a disused Japanese road to a small plateau on the west side of Mt Beremata. This is the isolated ancient village of Buibela. A track then goes down north west to Quelicai where a bus could be taken to complete a circuit back to Baucau. The position of the route to Buibela is shown in mauve on the trekking map, it  is only approximate.  Seek local information to locate the turnoff.

3 Travel south for 2klms then east for 19klms, on the way  passing through the ancient  village of Afaloicia, then south past the Iribi fountain and continue south to the coast  road.

The second two tracks are suitable for a cycle or a long two day walk.

Ossohuna to Uaiboro

Ossohuna is the start of the climb to the southernmost and largest mountain, Matebean Mane. The walk to Matabean Mane is shown on the map as an unbroken blue line.

It starts from the house of the community leader Martino De Silva, situated on the west side of the road, just north of the school. This walk is a reasonably hard slog. No scrambling required. Some maps have the names of the Matabean  mountains the wrong way round. The more southerly mountain is Matebean Mane. The north mountain and smaller of the two is Matebean Feto (Tetum   mane = man     feto = woman).)

Start on a grassy disused 4WD road walk uphill over a felled tree at 240d. About 200 meters up on the left are the ruins of an old  Portuguese community centre destroyed in the Indonesian invasion.

Continue uphill at 300d with fall away on left and a creek 200 meters away. The road crosses the small creek flowing away to the left. Twenty-five meters after crossing the creek on a bearing of 220d turn off to the right, then  follow this walking track at 320d. Altitude is 958 meters, approximately 1.8 kilometers from Ossohuna. On this narrow track the fall is away to the right.

The track becomes a narrow road built by local forced labor so that the Indonesians could get access to the produce grown further up the mountain. Approximately 1000 people died in this area in battles following the Indonesian invasion in 1975, when 10,000 Timorese fled to the Matebean area. As you climb up the hill, on the right buried under the rocks are the remains of resistance fighters, including Jakerios, a Falantil commander.

The road leads up to level off at a saddle. To the right is craggy Mt Ossasama. There is an ancient village where many people lived high up in the rocks for safety. An uma-lulik (sacred house) stands on this summit. Turn a little to the left at this saddle. In 1987–88 Indonesians forced people from this area to move down to live on the south coast. Many are now returning.

Uaiboro Approximately 2.7 kilometers up is the village of Uaiboro. altitude 1210 meters).This is the highest village and is tucked in against the massive east face of Matebean Mane. It makes an ideal base for the walks:

• to Matebean Mane and return.
• North then north-west up over the high plains (an area of rolling hills) to Matebean Feto, then back to Uaiboro
• Or alternatively going south then east from Matebean Feto over the plains down through hillside vegetable farms back to Baguia.

Uaiboro to Matabean Mane and back

Walk south from the village through vegetable gardens and rocks, sidling (following the hill around staying fairly level) gently uphill with a fall away to the left. Continue south-west and onto the spur that leads up to a saddle just south-west of the mountain peak altitude 1390 meters. Turn a little to the right and walk up the spur past many limestone rocks.

You will probably hear and see some of the farmers at work in their gardens. Climb over a rocky thorn-covered fence used to keep stock out of and above the village gardens. The farmers in this area have later crops than lower down the mountain due to the colder climate at this altitude and extra cloud and rain. Walk past many thatched huts and houses and then into open eucalypt woodland with lots of moss and lichen attached to the sharp fluted limestone outcrops.

There are many tracks crossing and going off at angles. It would be very easy to get onto the wrong one, even with good visibility. It would be impossible to walk here in heavy cloud without a local guide.

During 1977–78 many people died in this area in battles with the Indonesian military. Aircraft came from Kupang bombing and strafing throughout the morning. At lunchtime the aircraft would land at Baucau, and the attack would resume in the afternoon.

There was also navel shelling from the south coast.

Approximately two kilometers up from Uaiboro, bearing 250d, the track climbs above the tree line at around 1900 meters . Care is needed in this area as the eroded track is hidden by long grass up to a meter high. At around 2000 meters and directly south of the mountain top, climb over a natural-looking limestone fence into short grazed grassland. There are many bomb craters.

The track passes over caves inside of which are the bodies of Timorese killed by the Indonesian bombing. Large rocks have been jammed down to close the entries.

At 2080 meters is an area of huge fluted limestone outcrops. In the mist this looks like some long lost city. The track levels and swings  north. On the right is a wooden church and storeroom. During October many people come here for a religious festa. This building could be used as a refuge if necessary.

The top of Matebean Mane is now less than a kilometer away to the northeast, with a steep walk up to gain these last 250 meters of altitude. The start of this climb is on a bearing of 40d. Zigzag up amongst the rocks and be careful not to touch the broad leafed plants as these can cause itchiness. The route then goes up through open grass meadows among huge monoliths of fluted sharp limestone. and sweeps around to the right for the final 100 meters ascent to the statue at the top.

The views are truly stunning with a feeling of being on the top of the world or in a helicopter. On a clear day Tasi Feto (feto female) =  north  sea, and Tasi Mane (mane male rough = southern sea are clearly visible. The 4.5 kilometer walk from Uaibaro 1170 meters below takes about five hours for a reasonably fit person, including lunch and snack breaks.

The top of Matebean is often shrouded in cloud. To get the view may require a one or two hour wait on the summit. The clouds often roll in mid morning. My mobile phone was getting reception via Baucau from the top of Matebean Feto and Matebean Mane.

In dry conditions the walk back will take about two and a half hours. When wet the rocks on the track become very slippery and there is a real danger of a fall with perhaps serious consequences. The walk back down to Uiboro in wet conditions could take from one to one and a half hours longer.  You really do need to make an early morning start.

Bagging information by John Bartlett of Trekking East Timor

Location