Approaching A Hill; Driving Uphill - GMC 2011 Sierra Denali Owner's Manual

9-12 Driving and Operating

Approaching a Hill

When you approach a hill, decide if
it is 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
might not see this because the crest
of the hill is hidden by bushes,
grass, or shrubs.
Consider this 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?
What is beyond the hill? Is there
a cliff, an embankment, a
drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the hill if you do not know.
It is the smart 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 it is safe to drive
up the hill:
Use a low gear and get a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill
and try to maintain speed. Not
using more power than needed
can avoid spinning the wheels or
sliding.
WARNING
Turning or driving across steep
hills can be dangerous. You could
lose traction, slide sideways, and
possibly roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. When
driving up hills, always try to go
straight up.
Try to drive straight up the hill if
at all possible. If the path twists
and turns, you might want to find
another route.
Ease up on the speed as you
approach the top of the hill.
Attach a flag to the vehicle to be
more visible to approaching
traffic on trails or hills.
Sound the horn as you approach
the top of the hill to let opposing
traffic know you are there.
Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible to oncoming traffic.