Tourer here, not a racer. I don't give a rats ass how long a climb takes.

I did for the longest time however decide that i would never walk up a hill. That doesn't mean i wouldn't stop, as stopping to smell the roses is as important in touring as remembering to bring that sandwich along.

So pretty much up until i got more into mountain biking while living in California i stuck to that rule, and never walked up a hill.

In terms of memorable climbs, I can think of a few:

I recall an 18 mile long very steep grade full doing unsupported touring on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I recall it taking quite a while, maybe three hours, then i recall is taking 15 minutes to cover the same mileage on the other side.

I recall long climbs in the Adirondacks on a Montreal to Philadelphia tour. The bob trailer i was towing started to oscillate and i almost went off the side of a mountain.

Riding up Mount Washington in San Jose, CA, all the way up to the Telescope thing at the top was grueling and amazing. So many hairpin turns.

On a Chicago to Philadelphia tour, coming through western PA, though not as vertically impressive as other places proved to by just annoying. Up and down, up and down. At one point I rounded a bend just to stare up at another climb that was between me and food and i just threw my bike into a ditch in the side of the road in disgust and sat down on the side of the road. I'd had enough. Somehow my riding partner who happened to be my father got me going again by just not saying a word, picking up my bike and starting to fix the lever i'd just bent. Have i mentioned that all of the best bike trips, climbs, etc include diversity? Once you learn to embrace it you'll have a much better time of it. In fact I'm trying to show my 9 year old that now. It's hard to explain to a kid that we're going to go on a long bike ride, and some of it is really going to such, but in the end it's all worth it and we're going to have a great time. I shall digress.

On another subject, in recently years when I visit California and I ride for example in the Santa Cruz mountains on a full squish MTB, a dropper post has been confidence inspiring for those insane decents. I suppose thats a topic for another forum though.

In any event, if I can continue riding and *****ing about steep hills into my 80's, i'll die a happy man.