Again today we’re following the course of the Budhi Gandaki river with many short climbs and descents. The rice paddy fields will disappear to be replaced by millet, barley and maize. We run through Jagat, a pretty village with a paved way through it (sadly soon to be a road), stopping briefly at a water checkpoint. From Philim onwards we reach pine forest and from here on Buddhist culture dominates. We’ll see more Buddhist stupas, chortens and carved mani stones along the trail.
The last section of this race is a peaceful, forested journey through a steep sided canyon (which is why the stage GPS track elevations are not accurate). A beautiful, if relentlessly demanding, finish to the stage.
Deng is a tiny hamlet of just a few stone houses. Simple is best, as you will find out.
Maps and data
| Date: | November 8, 2023 |
| Effort: | ↔ 27 km 1730 m -740 m |
| Longest ascent: | 420 m |
| Longest descent: | 80 m |
| Start elevation: | 1035 m |
| Finish elevation: | 2021 m |
| Max altitude: | 2027 m |
| Min altitude: | 1028 m |