Approaching A Hill - Chevrolet 2008 Avalanche Owner's Manual

Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down, or across a
hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgment
and an understanding of what your vehicle can and
cannot do. There are some hills that simply cannot be
driven, no matter how well built the vehicle.
CAUTION:
{
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you cannot control your speed. If
you drive across them, you will roll over. You
could be seriously injured or killed. If you have
any doubt about the steepness, do not drive
the hill.
4-18

Approaching a Hill

When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it is
one of those hills that is just too steep to climb, descend,
or cross. Steepness can be hard to judge. On a very
small hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constant
incline with only a small change in elevation where
you can easily see all the way to the top. On a large hill,
the incline may get steeper as you near the top, but
you may not see this because the crest of the hill
is hidden by bushes, grass, or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider as you approach
a hill.
•
Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get
sharply steeper in places?
•
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
•
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
will not have to make turning maneuvers?
•
Are there obstructions on the hill that can block your
path, such as boulders, trees, logs, or ruts?