You managed to take what would be an annoying waste of time in most other games (getting past a vertical barrier preventing progress) and turn into an awesome game, that's crazy impressive. Climbing feels amazingly good, there's just enough looseness in the physics that you can slingshot yourself like an living Stretch Armstrong toy once you get a feel for it, the seagulls are realistically depicted as the petty, sadistic little winged demons they truly are, and the wacky hand physics are the icing on the cake.
My hands actually sweat quite a bit when I got into the groove of climbing, especially on the final peak. Apparently my brain didn't know or care by that point that the wall was virtual, that it could interpret color signals from my eyeballs, or that its host body is anything but that of a posh 19th century gentleman with superhuman endurance.
I can't wait to play the full version whenever it's finished, however long it may be until then since you can't rush perfection.