see 'The transition area' mentioned. Does this mean it's not like the 'puffer where you can base yourself from your camp?
The transition area is at the base station for the Gondola.
The camp site was further down the road at the cattle market. The course does pass by it but if you stopped at the campsite that would be eating into your laptime.
I went up on the Friday last year and they wouldn't let me into the car park at the gondola station as I was camping so I set up my tent at the campsite and used that as my transition area.
In hindsight I wouldn't have camped at the official site. I would have camped at a site in Fort William and driven up to the transition area in the morning and parked my car there, using that as my supply point. Instead my car was boxed in at the campsite so I couldn't get it out and up to the transition area.
The official campsite is basically a boggy field with zero facilities. I think there were some portaloos but that was it. You'd definitely be better off in a proper campsite with proper facilities.
The actual course itself felt like about 70% fireroad/ 30% singletrack.