Approaching a HillWhen you approach a hill, you need to decide if it isone of those hills that is just too steep to climb, descendor cross. Steepness can be hard to judge. On a verysmall hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constantincline with only a small change in elevation whereyou can easily see all the way 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 of the hillis hidden by bushes, grass or shrubs.Here are some other things to consider as youapproach a hill.• Is there a constant incline, or does the hill getsharply steeper in places?• Is there good traction on the hillside, or will thesurface cause tire slipping?• Is there a straight path up or down the hill so youwill not have to make turning maneuvers?• Are there obstructions on the hill that can blockyour path (boulders, trees, logs or ruts)?• What is beyond the hill? Is there a cliff,an embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get outand walk the hill if you do not know. It is thesmart way to find out.• Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often haveruts, gullies, troughs and exposed rocks becausethey are more susceptible to the effects of erosion.4-22
