Groenenberg Path

How paths shift can be seen at this location (see also video). The mechanism is demonstrated by mountain bikers who want to avoid riding through puddles. This is the mechanism step by step:

When a path lies in a lower, wet area (the valley floor or alluvial area of the stream in this case), you often get puddles there during wet periods. And these mountain bikers want to avoid that. So they ride a bit higher, in the farmer's field. Gradually, this creates a path that ends up being slightly higher. But why is it not higher up the slope? On the other hand, the farmer (rightly) does not want to give up much of his field. And he plows it again, making it difficult to walk or ride through. Thus, you usually get an equilibrium with a path that is just at the edge of the valley wall and the valley floor.

Of course, this was not caused by mountain bikers in the past, but by horse-and-cart users.

Pascal Brackman