I think swapping out your 50/34 chainring with a 46/30 would be your best bet. This would reduce crank effort by about 12%. That's a big step. Which might make those annoying climbs no longer a problem, and allow you to power up most sections you now walk. It still allows you to cruise along at 40 kph at a comfortable 74 rpm cadence in high gear.
Considering some folks climb moderate hills regularly with a single speed bike requiring perhaps 2.5x the effort of what you have now in lowest gear, I agree a 1:1 ratio is fine for powering up some short rather steep hills, But lower is a definite advantage for longer ones, Especially after a long ride.
Last edited by xroadcharlie; 01-28-22 at 07:48 AM.