For riding in the swamp that became DC (which it still is in many respects), climbing is not much of a concern. However, I'm planning on tackling some real climbs this summer, so I'm "preparing," not "worrying." There's always the option of taking another bike with a mountain triple and low enough gears I could ride up anything (16 gi), but also considering some mods to the road bike to provide that extra lower gear or two.