When you start hauling all that gear up a mountain pass, you will be thankfull you have such low gearing and the mountain components allow you to use that kind of gearing. Deore stuff isn't crap either, that rear derailer will last quite a long time.
+1 on this. The Deore XT stuff seems to play very well with the Tiagra brifters. I know some touring purists like bar end shifters, but I am comfortable with my brifters.