First time doing the Puffer, although I’ve solo’d a number of other 24s.

Ideally, I would like to ensure that I have a parking spot along the race course – although I’m not bothered about being near start/finish. I hear all kinds of horror stories about grabbing your spot days in advance – I was hoping to arrive on the Saturday AM (rather than camping onsite the night before) but seems that may mean I’m parked in the next town over…

Question: Realistically, do I need to arrive Friday (or earlier) to ensure I have any chance of a spot on the course?

They don’t usually allow anyone on the course before a set time on Friday so there’s no point being too early.

Good to know – thanks @epi! What about arriving on the Saturday – is that too late to grab a spot on the course? Not sure if all parking spots (I know one car per entry) are on the course, or if some aren’t?

Only time I’ve been, we turned up about 8am on the Saturday and got a decent spot just after the big corner on the climb, mibbe 200m up from the start/finish.

There was plenty space in the camp area at the bottom, which is only maybe 100 or so metres off the course.

This was 2012, memory fades, so these distances are approx! 😊

Saturday can be a bit chaotic, especially if you want to park on the course.

And if it’s icy, by that time the course can be well polished which makes getting up there “interesting”, so for a Saturday arrival I’d be looking at camping on the flat. Also by then all the good spots within a mile of the marquee will be gone.

I haven’t helped with the parking for a couple of years now but it used to be only campervans up the hill because past experience was that caravans on ice on a steepish climb caused too much chaos. If you’re camping with a tent, then you’re directed to the flat lower ground anyway, and your car was parked offsite about ½ mile away ie drive in, drop off tent etc, drive out, park car.

My preference for a spot is on the course far enough away from the marquee and the noise so you can get some sleep if you need it. It also means that you get some heat into your body from the climb because there’s a long descent to the marquee and you can be chilled if it’s really cold.

my experiance is if you dont have a car your willing to stuff into a ditch or a mate holding you a spot.

youll not be getting on the fire road on saturday morning.

even friday afternoon last year was a tough gig – but then i was trying to park a 7m van and have space to stick the awning out so not that surprising.