Hills -- is it true?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

What is the best way to climb...stay in a hard gear as long as possible and then shift or shift sooner? Staying in a hard gear could wear your legs out sooner but down shifting too soon causes you to gain less ground per pedal stroke. So what is the best way?

I would think it depends a lot on HOW you want to get up that hill. What's the goal for that hill?: Do you want to get up the hill in the least amount of time while pushing your body to the max? Or do you want to get up the hill while conserving your energy so you can better tackle the rest of the ride or the next big hill?