Starting with 6-methoxy-5-methyltetralin (I), several routes to the compound (XXI) named in the title have been developed. The tetralin (I) was converted into the hexahydrophenanthrene (X) and some attempts were made to convert the latter into a 2:3-glycol or relatedcompound with a view to changing the potential homo-D-ring into a natural D-ring before reducing the 4:12-double bond. The ketone (X)