I was looking at the comment section of the Vaughters article and found one that will resonate with most people on this thread:

The key to climbing is weight. I ride the “hills” in California where we have a few good grades also, some go to 22% like Sonora Pass. But I will be puffing along and some 95 pound 22 year old female will just fly right by me. It does not help that I am 74 and about 10 pounds overweight either, so it also helps to be young. All this business about breathing right and suffering is for you old people. The key is to be in your early 20s, about 5’8″ and weigh about 100 pounds.