I'm curious about the kind of bike that you'll be riding, or at least one that you plan to ride, that may give TE folk an idea of the gearing you might use and how much "help" you'll have. Riding a road bike with a compact double is MUCH different then riding a mountain bike up a hill.... different = HARDER.

I routinely ride up a steep .25 mile hill with pretty nasty grade issues, tho this is at the start of a ride (short Grocery store ride at that), not at the end. I'd image that riding 24 miles and come across a nasty hill would be reason for it's name. I find that I deal with short/steep hills BETTER then the long grind it out hills.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=39745

I rode up this on my 20+ pound cruiser... I felt like I was going to loose a lung at the top... but I made it.

Someone also once told me that there was never a hill that hadn't been walked.... so I wouldn't be afraid of this hill or embarrassed if you did have to walk it. It's just something that happens.

Good luck!!
Shannon