We describe here a full account of our efforts directed toward the synthesis of 4, a known intermediate in the synthesis of perhydrohistrionicotoxin (2). Irradiation of 7 followed by oxidative cleavage of the derived cyclobutene 6 produced 5 or 11, depending on the method of cyclobutene cleavage. While 5 could not be decarbonylated with (Ph3P) 3RhCl, thermal decarboxylation of 11 furnished 12a and 12b with the undesired stereochemistry at C (6) ...