the first thing i did when getting to the lower saddle was to throw up.

I guess it depends on the definitions you use, but for me the tetons are alpine rock climbing in the purest sense ... big mountains with a mix of hiking scrambling, snow, ice, great rock, and bad rock.

And there are routes with a much higher climb/grovel ratio than the easy routes on the grand--the durrance ridge and the s.w. ridge on symmetry, baxters pinnacle, the guides wall, etc. etc.

That's precisely my point: mountaineering with the objective of a summit (the Tetons) as opposed to a much higher climbing to bullshit ratio in an alpine environment (RMNP). One is not necessarily better than the other, it's more a matter of understanding expectations. Overall, you get more pure rock climbing for a given amount of effort in places like RMNP or the Sierra than in the Tetons.

I guess I'm comparing to other alpine climbing areas in the world ... Patagonia, Alaska, Canada, the Alps ...

With the exception of the parts of the alps where routes start at the base of the Telepherique, most of the great alpine ranges have longer approaches and much worse climbing to bullshit ratios than the tetons. RMNP is closer to cragging in an mountain setting in comparison! So I wouldn't use it as an example of the 'real' alpine climbing.

Despite appearances to the contrary, I pretty much agree with you - it's just that I would call it mountaineering (as in Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills) rather than alpine rock climbing, since all those areas do involve so much more than just rock climbing. My main point was that someone going to the Tetons expecting alpine cragging ('cause so many folks on net discussion fora rave about the rock climbing in the Tetons) without consideration of the mountaineering aspects will likely be disappointed.

I've definitely experienced that before ... going to the tetons with someone who loves rock climbing but not so much the mountains. Baffles them why anyone would spend so much time and energy and scraped skin to get to 8 pitches of rock "that isn't even as nice as Eldo."

People in the tetons specifically into alpine cragging, if anyone calls it that, head for Death Canyon. The approach is under an hour, all on trail, and there are no pretentious summits to contend with. I've never climbed there, because the classic routes are over my head. but the quality is supposed to be superb.

Just did the standard route on the 3rd Flatiron in Boulder yesterday. What a blast! We had a great time, easy climbing the whole way, 1000+ feet, 8 pitches. Despite hearing about run-out slab climbing, we found lots of gear placements between the giant eye-bolts, and any run-outs weren't scary because the climbing was so easy. The hardest part of the day was just the uphill slog to the climb (I think it was about 2 miles) on a really hot day. Once we were on the climb, it was breezy and eventually shady, so the heat wasn't as bad as I feared. Definitely worth it, and tons of fun.

Jannette

If you have time, go hit the 5th flatiron. I like it better than the 3rd because its a bit more out of the way, and the climbing is just as good though a touch harder and more runout.

Well, now I sort of regret the decision I made to fly into denver, drive up to wyoming, shoot prairie dogs for two days, drive back to denver and fly back instead of tacking on an extra day to climb the third flatiron. Well, next year.

You didn't really travel all the way to Wyoming just to shoot some prairie dogs, did you?

You could have done that well within sight of the 3rd flat iron.

And what exactly is the point of shooting prairie dogs? Can you eat them or something?