Driving up a steep hill using a manual

Just keep it in as low a gear as you need. I live in Pittsburgh (you don’t go very far around here without going up a hill), and I’ve NEVER seen a hill that any stick shift wouldn’t pull in 1st gear. Find a gear (1st gear if necessary) that will allow the engine to run 2500-3500 RPM at a speed that will allow you to comfortably negotiate the driveway. It will not hurt the engine to rev it a bit. It is really hard on the engine to make it work too hard at an RPM that is too low. A low gear will give you more power at the wheels.