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Here are a few routes that some of you more traditionally minded climbers might enjoy since everyone out putting up new routes caters primarily to the sport crowd. Ratings are approximate and as always, climb at your own risk.

Dyers Eve-5.10d R ***
Gear to 2 inches (Double set of stoppers, small cams.)
This route is an unusual completely naturally protected crack climb in the day and age of bolted cracks. Though the protection is excellent, the route has an R rating is for some loose rock encountered approaching and right off the belay. None of it needs to be pulled on though, so it doesn't affect the climbing. A single belay bolt at the highest of the vegetated ledges right of the gully to the right of Phoenix marks the start of the route. A finger crack and face holds lead up a dihedral to an intimidating roof, which happens to be the crux. After the roof, face holds and a crack on Smith's hardest stone lead to a belay on a sloping ledge. Rapping with a single 60-meter rope just makes it to the lower belay, or two 50-meter ropes just make it to the ground.

X-Files 5.9+ X
Gear to 1.5 inches
Extreme rock fall danger and a lack of protection makes this one of Smith's most dangerous pitches. Thomas Emde established it on sight. From the belay on Dyers Eve, traverse left and delicately climb up the left side of a 20-foot tall detached slab of rock sitting in a dihedral. At the top of this a few good pieces can be placed. Climb up the dihedral and arête until forced left onto the face. Traverse under and up left of the refrigerator sized loose block and then foot traverse across the top of it. Climb up the groove past a good stance up an ever-narrowing ledge with no protection for 50+ feet until a final unprotected boulder problem with rotten holds leads to the third belay on The Struggle Within. I do not recommend repeating this route. If you do you could kill yourself, and quite possibly people climbing down at Phoenix or hikers on the river trail. Three rappels with a 60-meter rope gets you to the ground.

Serendipity 5.9 X *
Gear to 4 inches
This is a route that for years I have wanted to establish as a sport route, but boredom and the right partner made for a wonderful adventure on natural gear. Start by cranking a chossy bulge on a crack just right of the start of Skylight on the West Side of the Smith Rock Group. After the crux bulge, traverse right below the roof on the featured slab and follow lichen covered knobs and pockets to a single bolt belay on a ledge. Climb up more lichen covered knobs and pockets, occasionally putting cams in pockets for protection, until a horizontal roof forces you to climb right all the way over to the chimney on Bits and Pieces. Belay at the large detached spike (It might hold). Half of the final pitch is shared with Bits and Pieces but then branches off and climbs the unprotected knobby face/arête left of the final chimney.

Taste The Pain-5.10a R **
Gear to 3 inches
This unusual route climbs a simple lichen covered ramp to an intimidating box corner, which is just right of a tall skinny pocket on a face. The only reason it gets an R rating is because of unprotected climbing on 5.5 lichen covered knobs at the start. Approach by climbing Why Art Thou? (sport route right of first pitch of No Brain No Pain) to the upper belay anchor. Another option is to climb the first pitch of Wherever I May Roam and then follow an easy groove up to the belay on the slab below the corner. Climb left off the belay to the higher lichen covered slab to avoid the large chunks of loose rock and then traverse right into the corner. Stem and chimney up the corner until forced to commit to the steep hand crack which ends at anchor bolts on a slab. Two rappels with a 60-meter rope get you back to the ground.

Route descriptions by Ryan Lawson
First ascents by Ryan Lawson and Thomas Emde