OFFICIAL HIGHLIGHTS #2 - LA CROIX DE LA DURANDE

📍 KM 29 - Ultra du Saint-Jacques

As the highest point of the first loop of the Ultra du Saint-Jacques, reached around the 30-kilometer mark, La Durande stands out as the first major turning point of the race. The final meters toward its famous cross—standing at an altitude of 1,299 meters on the Devès plateau—overlook the hamlet of Le Vernet and are conquered via a final, grueling climb.

Often inhospitable even in June (swept by wind, cold, and occasionally dusted with snow), the summit nonetheless rewards the effort with a stunning panorama. In daylight, the 360-degree view unfolds across the horizon: from Cantal to Cézallier, from Sancy to Puy de Dôme, and from Livradois to the Forez mountains—not to mention the Meygal, Mézenc, Devès, and Margeride ranges, and the Allier valley below.

Once the peak is reached, the race changes character. This first "tipping point" gives way to a new, faster section, mostly downhill toward Prades.