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Name History
Dec 21, 2021:
"Valley of the Trolls" was renamed "Tram Trail Boulders".
Suggested Page Improvements to Tram Trail Boulders
New Location: Lat 43.58982, Lon -116.15600
Jan 15, 2019
Suggestion
A nearly endless supply of sandstone boulders sits less than fifteen minutes of downtown Boise. On the lower slope of the Table Rock mesa, this area's potential currently far outstrips what has been developed. There are at minimum many hundred problems waiting development and a first ascent. Mountain bikers, hikers, and trail runners frequent this area, but not many climbers at present.
A note about the rock:
Much of the rock on the aspect of the Table Rock mesa is immensely friable and more akin to mudstone, i.e., not worth climbing on. For boulders with this weaker rock, please avoid. There's no sense in trying to force your vision onto a rock that will not be climbable due to poor rock quality when there are so many boulders with good hard sandstone nearby.
A note about development:
Please practice responsible stewardship when establishing and cleaning new problems. Entire rock faces do not need to be cleaned. Determine what holds will be used and clean only these. Leave the lichens and mosses alone everywhere else. When cleaning, use only nylon brushes not wire. If a bush or tree is in your way, leave it alone and climb somewhere else.
A note about traveling light:
Much of this area lies behind explicit signage prohibiting access. Some of this land is private property and is fenced off. Some is part of the Ridge to Rivers trail system but has been closed to reduce erosion. For the ecological sake of the area and continued access, please avoid traveling in these areas. There are hundreds of accessible boulders that are either immediately adjacent to established trails or that are not in areas where access is prohibited.
A note about thinking ahead:
Because of this area's proximity to town and its popularity with mixed-user groups, it's imperative that climbers plan ahead to minimize our impact. A number of faint trails exist. Use these whenever possible and avoid making new ones. Walk on rocks rather than plants when feasible to do so.
As Valley of the Trolls experiences further development, it will make sense to separate this page into sub-areas.
A note about the rock:
Much of the rock on the aspect of the Table Rock mesa is immensely friable and more akin to mudstone, i.e., not worth climbing on. For boulders with this weaker rock, please avoid. There's no sense in trying to force your vision onto a rock that will not be climbable due to poor rock quality when there are so many boulders with good hard sandstone nearby.
A note about development:
Please practice responsible stewardship when establishing and cleaning new problems. Entire rock faces do not need to be cleaned. Determine what holds will be used and clean only these. Leave the lichens and mosses alone everywhere else. When cleaning, use only nylon brushes not wire. If a bush or tree is in your way, leave it alone and climb somewhere else.
A note about traveling light:
Much of this area lies behind explicit signage prohibiting access. Some of this land is private property and is fenced off. Some is part of the Ridge to Rivers trail system but has been closed to reduce erosion. For the ecological sake of the area and continued access, please avoid traveling in these areas. There are hundreds of accessible boulders that are either immediately adjacent to established trails or that are not in areas where access is prohibited.
A note about thinking ahead:
Because of this area's proximity to town and its popularity with mixed-user groups, it's imperative that climbers plan ahead to minimize our impact. A number of faint trails exist. Use these whenever possible and avoid making new ones. Walk on rocks rather than plants when feasible to do so.
As Valley of the Trolls experiences further development, it will make sense to separate this page into sub-areas.
Description: Just minutes from downtown Boise, sandstone boulder problems can be found on rocky outcrops below Table Rock.
A series of trails including the Tram Trail, Rock Island trail, and Rock Garden trail provide access to many of these problems. These trails are utilized for a wide array of recreation including hiking and mountain biking, so proper trail etiquette should be practiced. Due to the fragile nature of the sandstone, soils, and vegetation, be sure to stay on trails and avoid accessing the area when trails and rocks are wet, as this can lead to damage.
There are a number of residential zones in close proximity to the area, so make sure to maintain a low profile and access the climbing via public parking and trail systems.
A series of trails including the Tram Trail, Rock Island trail, and Rock Garden trail provide access to many of these problems. These trails are utilized for a wide array of recreation including hiking and mountain biking, so proper trail etiquette should be practiced. Due to the fragile nature of the sandstone, soils, and vegetation, be sure to stay on trails and avoid accessing the area when trails and rocks are wet, as this can lead to damage.
There are a number of residential zones in close proximity to the area, so make sure to maintain a low profile and access the climbing via public parking and trail systems.
Getting There Suggestion
From downtown Boise, drive down Warm Springs Blvd. until you reach the Warm Springs golf course. Public parking is available for access to the surrounding trail systems. There is a foot path that will lead you directly to the boulders. The first boulder is a five minute walk.
New Left-to-Right Route Sort
New Left-to-Right Route Sort
Consider making this a sub-area of Table Rock to clean up the West Idaho list a little since they are so close together. As I understand it, the original reasons they were treated as separate areas were that the Valley of the Trolls (now Tram Trail) used to be larger and contained boulders to the south now lost to housing development, and because they had different access situations. With the road to the top indefinitely closed, approaching most Table Rock sub-areas now requires using the tram trail and walking past all of these boulders. Because of this I don't see a reason to treat them as distinct top-level areas anymore.
