The reading of Hess's essay on the valley trough inspired me to verify the idea expressed there that the four glacial periods, derived from the fluvioglacial deposits of the forelands, can be morphologically demonstrated in the Alpine valleys, in areas where the author had not yet extended his studies. The northern cross valleys of the Hohe Tauern seemed particularly suitable as a field of study for several reasons. Their fairly uniform arrangement and consistent erosion base offered the prospect of tracking a general phenomenon without disruptive influences. Their course, partly in schist and partly in central gneiss, promised clarification of the influence that petrographic differences might have. An initial survey in the autumn of 1907 covered the majority of the valleys from Gastein to Krimini and extended further.