@Cosna…I used to live on a mountaintop just out of Fairbanks on the Chena Hotsprings road. I just drove slow and downshifted (one gear only) before I went down the incline. My wife and I had no problems driving in the area. Slow is the key. The fact that you have AWD and traction control should make this a piece of cake for you. Remember…driving slow when it’s icy is the best thing you can do. I don’t think an engineering explanation will do you any good because you have to deal with snow, ice, melting snow and ice, curves, gravel and any number of other road conditions. You have a great vehicle there so most of your concern is overthinking in my opinion.