So I googled around and found a satelite view of a large escarpment:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...88734&t=h&z=12

Now both sides of that escarpment are flat but they are totally different colours and shades due to the different foliage. It would be almost impossible to see the difference otherwise. I still want to place some visible cliffs in there to try to break it down a little.

@TM - good work on that cliff. They're tricky, and with so much of this sort of mapping the issue is to find a solution that reads well to the viewer even if it's totally unrealistic.