SRTM
Above image shows Cracow-Częstochowa Upland, the hipsometric map shown on that image has been generated from SRTM data. SRTM-3 terrain data of Poland one can get here (page in polish only). With SRTM data it is very easy to create such a hipsometric maps and/or profiles of selected areas. As an example lets us consider the Belchatow lignite delf. In the picture shown below
one can see the mine (delf) on the left side of image, and on the right, one can see mine waste dump. If one create a hipsometric profile of that terrain, one will see that the difference in elevation between the lowest point (blue area) and the highest (dark orange area) is about ~ 370 meters.
Currently im working on application to create hipsometric maps (vector representation of elevation levels) directly from SRTM data, to be used with my gps unit. Application can already create hipsometric profiles along specified line, and that was the easier part...
1