Biking expert question, help please! Can you go up hills in a higher and

higher gear as you get stronger? This question is hard to phrase. Can you go up a hill is a higher and higher gear as you get stronger?
What I mean is say you going up a slope going up hill and you are in 1-3 as you get stronger and the weeks go by you go to 1-4, Then 2-3, 2-4, 2-5. Until you keep rising. Going up that same slope.
My main question is however is this safe for your joints? But as you get stronger don't your joints?