This was a very creative idea! It took me a while to understand the mechanics (specifically that the discard pile gets reshuffled, I was hording up cards for no reason) but once I got the hang of it it was very enjoyable to play.
One note that I have, I might be wrong but I feel like the sideways wind also blows you down? I would find it interesting if the wind actually blows you sideways, which may even help you scale the mountain.