I don't know if this is definitive, or even if he wasn't just trying to make me feel better, but I have this story to share from yesterday's ride:

I began a long ascent yesterday and passed a runner at the bottom. I started dropping gears and finally landed in my lowest gear, concentrating on breathing, remaining upright, and continuing on up the mountain (and not passing out, if I must be completely honest). After a while, the runner caught up with me. Then he passed me. I smiled, chuckled, and decided that it was a good thing that I was wearing my "Team Hill Slug" jersey.

At the top, I finally caught up with him as he rested before beginning the descent back. I jokingly called out, "Sure, you may beat me up the hill, but just wait until I race you back down." He smiled and informed me that he almost always beats bicycles up the hill. Only one guy beats him up, and he's "hard core".

As he sees it, it's faster to run than bike. I don't know about easier, but I'd say that faster would be easier. Chatting about it, we discussed how - looking at the physics of the sports - mechanical advantages a cyclist has on flats and downhills is lost on uphills. As a runner, he has a onene ratio; everything he puts into climbing translates directly into his motion. It's not quite the same with a bike.

I dunno. I walk up hills when running, but I'm not exactly a stellar runner.