Ye-es... but it can take the average person an awfully long time to build the strength to get up an 18% grade. If you don't have a low gear option under 30 gear inches and are battling hills 10% or higher, it's a good idea to get under 30. It will still take a long time to build the strength, but it's SO much easier when you're not trying to battle it out at 40 or 50 gear inches.

I'd probably do stuff like work seriously on stair climbing and squats tho if I were back to dealing with 18% on a daily basis. The strength for those isn't identical to the strength we need for climbing, but it is an every little bit helps situation.