My wife did have an LHT but as she's petit and the LHT weighs about the same as a boat anchor I had a habanero custom made for her. It's only 2/3 the weight of the LHT and handles everyday use with panniers no problem. It's got a Tubus titanium Fly rear pannier rack.
A 48-32 at the front with a 11-42 at the back will get you up any hill