I recalled this afternoon that I had invested in a 42 tooth chain ring and a KMC Rohloff-specific chain (this may be SJS bullshit but the KMC box recommended it for hub gears. Why, I don't know. It still had enough spare links to be used with a derailleur). I fitted these and reversed the Rohloff sprocket, which had become quite badly worn in a fairly short time.
I recall the Noble Charlotte, on our tour three years ago, commenting on the size of my ring as we were mounting a monster somewhere near Tregaron. She opined that if I made my ring smaller we may have got up rather more quickly.