Just my own experience, but it took me a couple of years of climbing hills regularly before my glutes didn't hurt and burn so much anymore. Now it's my heart and lungs that have trouble first on bad hills, but my glutes hang in there ok. Good old glutes! I can actually see that they are bigger and stronger than they were last year.

It's a delight to have at least ONE aspect of my 'engine' function well for me now on the big nasty hills.