Psycho Pigeon 

I did this route a couple of years ago and the crux felt like it was a lot harder than 11a. The crux felt like it was on the traverse out to the arete . I've done a lot of 11's in eldo and all I can recall from this route was a moment of desperation that I wasn't prepared for. Maybe I missed something, but my partner felt it was desperate for 11a too. Worth doing though.

I did this route a couple of years ago (maybe 2000) and thought that the crux move was on the traverse close to the arete and it felt a lot harder than 11a to me. Maybe I missed something but my partner thought it was a lot harder than 11a too. Good route though.

What an excellent and wild route! Well protected in the harder sections, but plenty of spicy runouts on easier terrain, great position and exposure! (most of the old bolts have been replaced!) I thought the crux on the second pitch was more like 5.11b, it seemed as hard as lots of Eldo 11b routes. And be prepared for 10a or b serious on the third pitch before getting to the first bolt... it's steep and sustained here and the lichen and occasional crumbly rock make falling on marginal gear a possibility if you're not paying attention. Routes like this remind me of how unique and awesome Eldorado really is!

The four bolts protecting the crux section on the second pitch have been replaced and it feels ultra-safe. However, there are other spicy sections: For example, the belay at the beginning of this pitch is a button head and a 1/4 inch, and there is a long section of climbing right off that is only protected by a 1/4 incher (it would suck to break this bolt and factor two on the belay).

To add to Josh's comment, there is also a 20ft section on the 3rd pitch (above the fixed pin and on the way to the 2 bolts) in which it is difficult to find good gear. It's easy at the pin and about .10- just before the bolts. Overall I'd say the route deserves more ascents than it seems to get.

What a nice surprise this route is! Its tempting to give it 3 stars, but its hard to grant classic status to something that avoids all the obvious climbing on the Yellow Spur.

The crux traverse move felt like easy-11 to me, but the move is very height dependent... and apparently kind of scary for the second. Its another one of those Eldo problems where you see a jug above a blank stretch, and you have to concoct some scheme to get to it. I think the comments on the seriousness of the 3rd pitch are overstated... there is a nice stopper placement in the diagonal slash, and then moderate climbing to clip the bolt. The original 4th pitch looked like a contrived joke (5.8, one bolt eight feet left of arete), so we stuck to the Yellow Spur arete to the top.

What's interesting is that the guidebook describes the crux in a different place, on the arete after the traverse. Rossiter describes the trasverse as 5.10. Maybe something broke off?

In my opinion, the crux second pitch is about the same degree of difficulty as other classic Eldo face routes at this grade, eg. Wide Country. Well protected.

I think it's a little interesting that nobody is discussing the bottom of the climb. The first 3 pitches are not insignificant and if done by the best line are all 5.10.The first pitch may as well be done as Psychosis (the 5.10 mantle) because the 5.9 to the right is junkier. THe middle pitch, as 3 Old Farts Young At Heart is excellent and well protected overhead for most moves. The 3rd pitch is independant and climbs like 'Body Tremors' but harder and with a few bolts. It's significant enough to say that without doing that pitch, you have not done the route. Not so hard as it is a testiment to what was envisioned and done by the FA party, and to "Get it" regarding the nature of the climbing on this route.

I got on this one with my friend Joe yesterday. We climbed Three Old Farts to reach the upper ramp. This is an excellent way to reach Psycho Pigeon. Like Steve says, Psycho Pigeon is a neglected semi-classic. I thought the climbing was good and requires good route finding skills. There wasn't any chalk up there to help you find the way. It's totally worth more accents that it obviously doesn't get.

Greg Miller dragged a willing (it was my idea) but way out of shape me up Psycho Pigeon yesterday. My mind was willing, but my body wasn't. We approached via Psychosis, P1 of which was mixed snow and rock, and P3 of which was desperately-cold jamming. We started Psycho Pigeon via the left-facing corner depicted in the photo of Mellow Fellow. The move off the ground felt like 10+, but otherwise it was 9 with 9s at the end moving left then up to the belay. Rossiter describes starting further left, which looked very unappealing. You could also climb the flake just right of the corner. I was unhappy belaying the runout to the first bolt. Greg didn't get the nut in mentioned by someone above. Greg lunged at the crux stand up, disappeared around the corner, and with some mumbling, finished the pitch clean. I totally lunged the crux, got the jug, and then barn-doored off. I was very unhappy to move around the arete and discover it was not a slab, but rather very steep fingery face climbing. Flailed there. Near the top of the pitch, you can move left to the arete for a rest, but you'll want to move back right, and up and over the roof via fun easy move. P3 had decent gear. Greg got a good blue Alien in before the first bolt. The moves at the bolts were quite hard. I was expecting 10c, but Steve says 10d, and Rossiter says 11a. I was exhausted at this point and hung twice getting over the bulge.

Great rock and position. An overlooked classic.

I agree with Josh. You can place a small TCU to back up the bolts at the anchor at the top of the first pitch, and it is possible to place an RP before the first bolt on the second pitch. So, you are not totally run out, but it would be nice if that 1/4" button head was replaced as it is essentially the only thing you have when you start the traverse to the arete, and it would be a bad fall if it broke.

Once I fell 30 feet off of the third pitch of this due to the stopper in the diagonal slash pulling while getting lost on the Yellow Spur....

Can I tick it?

There are two independent pitches that lead to the Upper Ramp. The first hits an awsome splitter crack the leads just below Psychosis 11a roof. The second moves right and up a steep face visible from the Upper Ramp rappel. The Rossiter guide says these are three pitches that more or less follow Three Old Farts. They really add to the route, and the 5.10 crack on P1 is awesome.