Silver Raven 

The guide gives this an "S" rating. How good is the pro on the first pitch?

IF YOU DON'T WANT WAY TOO MUCH BETA DON'T READ THIS

I think the pro on this is actually quite good but can be somewhat strenuous to place. From a stance you can clip a fixed bomber small stopper in the corner and then add several more. These protect the initial part of the crux and the highest is no lower than your feet when you place the next gear. A small cam and some stoppers can be placed from a pumpy stance on good holds in the corner. The next corner above takes very small cams well and 'over-your-head' stoppers. If you finish on the GRAND COURSE you might try placing something like a #2 or #3 Camalot in a short slot at the crux-the alternative is a wobbly nut. I didn't have the big cam when I did it a few months ago so I'm just guessing. You can find a rap anchor up and left from the end of GRAND COURSE, it's the top of PARIS GIRL.

SILVER RAVEN is a great route-have fun.

There are 2 different rap anchors on the broken ledge atop these routes- both are slings around trees. The right-most is directly above Paris Girls, and requires 2 ropes to get down. The other anchor is a bit left from here, and if you rap more into the gully left (careful of loose rock) it is possible to get off with a single 60m rope.

The slot that Steve D. mentions at the crux of the Grand Course takes a perfect 3.5 Camalot.

I think the "s" on this route is another leftover from the early 80's when there were no micro cams. Going up on this route with a couple sets of TCU's and Aliens feels much more comforting than the thought of using nuts alone. Even with the new gear, this is a challenging lead as the gear is below your feet when climbing through the crux, and is very strenuous to place up high. (OK, maybe it still deserves and "s") This route -- finishing on the .11a crux of Grand Course -- can be led in one long, pumpy pitch from the ground. Wow!

Absolutely spectacular climb. Great position and movement. Linked with the 2nd pitch of Grand Course creates a stellar line. One of Eldo's best!

Spectacular route! The gear is tricky down low, but it is there. I felt like this was easier than other 11+ routes in the canyon. I give it 11c PG-13. At the top, I finished on the right set of anchors, not the Grand Course anchors. This allows for lowering to the pinnacle with a 60m cord. There are now bolted anchors on this route.