1993 Oldsmobile Bravada Owner's Manual - Page 144

Driving onOff-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 can't do. There are some hills that simply can't be driven,no matter how well built the vehicle. JIIL Approaching a Hill When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it's one of those hills that'sjust 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 theway to the top. On a large hill, the incline may get steeper as you near the top, butyou may not see this because the crest the hillis of 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 places? in Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the surface cause tire slipping? Is there a straight path up down the or hill so you won't have to make turning maneuvers? Are there 01- -'ructions on the hill that can block ybul. path (boulders, trees, logs or ruts)? What's beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and walk hill if you the don't know. It's 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. 1 L b steep for any vehicle. If you A Many hills are simply too ve up them, you will stall. If you drive down them, you can't control your speed. Ifyou drive across them, you will roll over. You could be seriously injured or killed. If you have any doubt about the steepness, don't drive the hill. 142