Side valley

Looking upstream, the steepest slopes are normally near the source of a brook (with the exception of very hard rocks in downstream direction).

Studying the various gravel rock types is an excellent and cheap survey for a summarized geology of the rivers watershed (catchment area).

Valley floors vary - from just a few meters up to some 100 m (e.g. Bad Gastein or St. Moritz, where small towns have been developed instead of 1000 or 1500 m altitude).

Some valleys are stepped in longitudinal direction (German "Talstufe") which means that these zones show a quicker current than average.

The brook digs its own canal and the eroded sediments are deposed at the end of each clammy, forming a series of local plains.