MLG STOPPED AT LOWER THAN NORMAL ALT. TERRAIN PROX CRITICAL.

Narrative

SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO THE NE. INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO 'GIVE A GOOD RATE THROUGH 3000 FT MSL;' FOR TFC. LATER; OUR CLB WAS ONCE AGAIN INFLUENCED BY MORE TFC AND WE WERE ASKED TO STOP AT 7000 FT MSL. BY THE TIME WE RESUMED OUR CLB; I REALIZED WE MUST XCHK OUR POS AND ALT BECAUSE OF THE MOUNTAINS TO THE NE. I ACTUALLY REFED AN ARR ROUTING FOR MY ALT CHK AND FOUND WE MUST BE CLOSER TO THE MOUNTAINS THAN NORMAL; BUT AS LONG AS ATC WAS MONITORING OUR POS; WE WERE OK. ALT WAS ABOUT 12000 FT MSL 33 MI NE OF CLOVIS VOR. ABOUT THAT TIME; ZOA ASKED US IF WE COULD SEE THE TERRAIN? SOMEWHAT OF AN UNUSUAL QUESTION FOR AN IFR DEP. HE THEN ASKED US TO EXPEDITE OUR CLB THROUGH 13000 FT. THE ZOA CTLR WAS OBVIOUSLY KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON US; AND SO WAS I. MY SUGGESTION IS; IF FAT DEP IS GOING TO LIMIT YOUR CLB WHILE HDG AT THE MOUNTAINS; ALT MUST BE VERY CAREFULLY WATCHED. WE WERE HEAVIER THAN NORMAL. THAT MAY HAVE INFLUENCED OUR CLB AND GAVE ZOA MORE CONCERN. I FEEL MY SIT/ALT/POS AWARENESS WAS GOOD AND THAT COULD HAVE SAVED US IF OUR RADIOS QUIT. BUT OBVIOUSLY; OUR LEVEL-OFF AT 7000 FT ON THE DEP FOR TFC RAISED OUR STRESS LEVEL. ALSO; THE FRESNO 5 DEP ASSUMES ATC CLOSE MONITORING AS ALTS/DMES ARE NOT REFED. THAT'S WHY I REFED THE GIVEN 4 ARR FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. ATC NEVER SAID ANYTHING ELSE AND WE WERE SOON ABOVE THE CLOUDS. ZOA ALSO DID A GOOD JOB WATCHING US. WE DID A GOOD JOB TRYING TO KEEP OUR AWARENESS.