Personally I don't find the climbing that bad at all, but that bit at the top, Bran Burn Bash, and also the newish bits around Nil Desperandum really beat me up and are just too rocky for my liking.
I think Ae is brilliant if you like to get two wheels off the ground, and also there is quite a lot of descending too, but these are a bit too much for me too, although I love the short descent after The Edge. I always keep two wheels on the ground down Omega Man, so I guess I don't ride Ae that often. That isn't a criticism, I can see how for some people it is excellent, and there are parts that I really enjoy. I guess for my type of riding, you don't get much bang for your buck, and I tend to stick with Mabie, Dalbeattie and Kirroughtree.