I just came back from a self-supported bike tour with a guy who had a Specialized tricross. He had an accident because his foot caught his front fenders when he had to do a very sharp turn. He's okay and so was the bike.

His main complain is the wheelbase is too short to be a proper touring bike. But if you don't have fenders in front, then it shouldn't be a problem. The weight will not be an issue for you. And he was able to do climbs just like anyone else.

Also, the Specialized has carbon forks so you'll have to be careful how much you load in the front too.

Sorry, I don't know much about then other bike.