Abstract Treatment of 3-(or-hydroxybenzyl) pyrazolo [1, 5-a] pyridines with trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane resulted in the formation of pyrazolo [1, 5-a] pyridines, bis [α- (pyrazolo [1, 5-a] pyrid-3-yl) benzyl] ethers, and phenylbis (pyrazolo [1, 5-a] pyrid-3-yl) methanes, depending upon the presence or absence of the substituents at the 2-and/or 4- positions and the reaction conditions employed.