It all depends how effectively you can equalize your middle ear pressure by manually opening your Eustachian tubes. For pilots who have trained their muscles to open their Eustachian tube on command, then even 3,000 ft/min should be doable as along as you don't have a cold or a stuffy nose. However, for uninitiated passengers, the differential created by climbing or descending at 1,000 ft/min for only a few minutes can become considerably painful.
I hope that answers your question This is also a great example of what draws me to aviation, because few other hobbies require knowledge of engineering, navigation, human biology, and fine motor skills, all in one place.
