Timely post, Barry.
I've recently dropped my bars to the factory height after using the 2'' risers for 200h.
I still haven't been to the mountains with this setup, so I'm waiting to see how that goes.
The reason I raised the bars was because I was getting a lot of arm pump and back pain on long, steep climbs. I thought I had a perfect setup, but I've been noticing some limitations of the high-bar position.
I've also cured a lot of aches like arm pump, lower back and quadriceps fatigue with focused exercising and diet. This path also makes you adapt to the bike instead of looking for a way to 'improve' it. I'm 186cm tall and 30 years old.
You do make a valid point about using the aids in a rational way.