I have driven in the western states mostly and we have got some doozies out here. I guess if you think it is mechanical you can take it in and see what may be robbing you some horsepower. When you climb you have to expect power loss just because of the dynamics at work on that grade. Percent of climb, weight of the vehicle, wind resistance if you are bucking wind just to mention a few. Hills do what hills do There is no substitute for horsepower and torque . Maybe your pony was just doing the best it could for what you were asking it to do
