It seems to me that there are mountain roads in the East that are just as steep and as difficult as those in the West.
Only, in the East the miles driven in steep conditions are way less than what you find in the West. And, the absolute heights generally are lower in the East, which means less oxygen starvation for the power plants hauling us up.
Even in Arkansas, there's one mountain I camp on that doesn't look like much, but it only takes a mile or so to get to the top. I make that climb in second gear while towing. It's as steep as you might find out West, but only for significant less distance covered.
