Approaching A Hill; Driving Uphill - GMC 1996 Sonoma Owner's Manual

Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it's one
of those hills that's just too steep to climb, descend or
cross. Steepness can be hard to judge. On a very sInall
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.
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Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get sharply
steeper in places?
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Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
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Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
won't have to make turning maneuvers?
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Are there obstructions on the hill that can block your
path (boulders, trees, logs or ruts)?
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What's beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and walk the
hill if you don't know. It's the
s m a r t way to find out.
Is the hill simply too rough'? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs and exposed rocks because they
are more susceptible to the effects of erosion.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you
need to take some special steps.
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0
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Use a low gear and get a firm grip on the
steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
your speed. Don't use more power than you need,
because you don't want your wheels to start spinning
or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible.
If the path twists and turns, you might want to find
another route.
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