Tactics to save ankles and knees on steeper trails?

I'm a climber, and the approach to one of the climbing areas near me is about half a mile long, climbing 700ft over that period.

On the way up, I'm on the balls of my feet basically the whole time and my achilles pitch a fit after a while. On the way down, my toes are smashed into the toes of my shoes and the front of my knees are getting destroyed.

Are there any tips or methods to make steep hiking more gentle on the body? I'm wearing Trail Running shoes and carrying about 25lbs of gear.