300-400 feet/mile is pretty average in the area where I live; plenty of steeper stuff (ex: 600 ft/mi) if you're looking for it. Those climbs are over hills, not mountains, so they only last for 3-5 miles. Of course, it's unlikely you'll only have to climb one in a day. Once you're on the fourth, or fifth, or sixth climb of the day that lower gearing starts to pay for itself... especially if you have to do the same thing for several days in a row, like you might on a tour.