[RWD version 1 ] Day 3 - Budhidanda to Sotang
Start at 5,720ft and end 5,101ft. Lowest 2,953ft. Maximum gradients encountered were 67.1% and -65.4%.

After another lovely breakfast we headed off around 9am and were overtaken by numerous children loaded with schoolbooks. They skipped effortlessly up the steep trails. They were all well turned out and very polite and communicative. The terrain today was much more difficult. Every so often we had to step aside to allow mule trains to pass. Everything required, from big gas cylinders to galvanised sheeting and timber fuel, has to be either manually carried or brought by animal transport.
The weather was beautiful and it enhanced the beauty of his most remote highland area. Moving along a ridge or contouring a slope was easy but once you had to cross mountain terrain then it meant a very long steep decent followed by an even longer and difficult ascent to equal height on the opposite side of the valley! However, the rope bridges are truly spectacular.
We had the good thought of bringing childrens glitter stickers and the kids along the way were thrilled to get some. Getting them to stick to their dusty skin was quite another matter.