I love this kind of talk!!

I'm at my best when I follow this formula... one hill ride a week (100+ ft/mile for about 25-30 miles), one fast ride a week (with guys who will challenge me over moderately hilly terrain - this is my "I know it's gonna hurt" ride) and at least one long social ride a week (65-100 miles at a social pace). Total minimum mileage of 150 miles/week, but at 200 I really feel good.

Do enough hills and they will lose their power over you. As Marni said also, if you want to ride up hills fast, you have to ride up hills fast... you might not sustain it for long at first, but you have to push past your comfort zone. (This is where the fast ride comes in. I need to be racing someone up a hill to find the motivation ride fast up a hill!)

Dropping the extra weight helps. Good climbers are generally lightweights. But take care to lose fat and not muscle. Get adequate protein and rest. Amend that: get lots of protein and rest! Take care of your body to get the best out of it.

BREATHE. I am amazed as I ride past people up hills how shallowly they are breathing. Breathe deeply. Breathe slowly. Concentrate on the your breathing. Breathe in rhythm with your pedal stroke - so many pedal strokes per breath. Think of the oxygen going in your nose/mouth, down to your stomach then down to your legs. The oxygen is fuel for your legs. This makes a huge difference in your ability to keep the pace all the way to the top.

Keep your cadence up. Downshift if you need to but keep the cadence the same as it was on your approach. After a while you will find that you can push a bigger gear and still keep the cadence.

Rita (still on crutches so armchair riding this evening.)