I would say if you liked the bar-end shifters, but are going another direction because of reliability issues, maybe just swap to some Shimano shifters. I haven't heard of shifters wearing out much either, but my best friend had some 9sp Microshift bar-ends that started being a pita and not shifting well when they got higher up in the mileage. I've never once heard of a Shimano bar-end having an issue. Maybe it happens. I don't know. I've had a set of 9sp that were clearly very used that still shifted as crisply as my new set did.

I don't think Shimano make 10-speed MTB bar ends.

GRX live action...

For a tour with more climbing, I’ll use my Rohloff wheel for a range of 17.2 to 90.6 gear inches. That gives me one gear lower and three additional gears with even steps.

its funny, but it makes me think of how when I went to 21.5, it was a godsend after 25g.i, and then on another bike with 19.5 that was nice for those really stupid steep bits, but then I realized for some places that are really mountainous and with lots more stupid steep bits, lower was needed--so here I am, with the 16.7g.i. and glad as heck I have it often.

and aint getting younger is certainly a factor also, and wanting to keep the knees going for as long as I can.....

At some point, you might as well just walk up the hill. With a 18 tooth cog on the Rohloff at a cadence of 70, you’re moving at a blistering 3.2 mph. That’s 15.3 gear inches. Maybe if I’m still touring at 80 that will come in handy.

chuckle
although, I have to say that I'm a pretty good climber, being a light fellow, but honestly, when carrying 50lbs of stuff and encountering stupid steep stuff like 20%, which I have encountered in Latin America and elsewhere a few times, that low gear is just nice, and sometimes I use it for a short bit even if I could be one gear higher, just to give my knees a break.

but yes, Ive spent a lot of time riding at 6, 7, 8 kph, but really this is more because of carrying more weight than usual, extra water, extra food, extra this and that, on trips that really do require more stuff, and for those situations, Im very happy riding at 6 or 7 kph rather than pushing.
Personally, I have always preferred to ride than to push, and Im also more of a faster cadence than others rider, so my legs and knees prefer that.

oh, and throw in the factor of it being nice of a really low gear to take it easy in case you are feeling kinda "off", from having the runs, or out of sorts from maybe not eating enough, or you have started a cold, stuff like that.

so even if it isnt used that much really, Im really really glad I have that 16.7 on ye ol Troll.

Huh. I guess that makes sense since their bar ends are "intended" for TT or something like that, but that seems Really dumb. Bar ends and MTB derailers are a very common combination for touring and commuting. Maybe just because there's more money in selling a $200 brifter than a bar end, so they want to push people toward that...