Mostly gradual rises. Nothing very steep and nothing very long. I don't think it is much hillier than the first few miles south of 290 along FM359. The route goes from Sealy west towards Columbus along back roads. You stay south of Cat Spring. It is mostly nice quiet roads and decent pavement, and I don't think of it as all that hilly in general. More like mostly flat with a few small hills. There are a couple of points along Kulow Road early in the ride where you climb up out of a creek bottom where you will find out who knows how to shift and who is still learning. For anybody used to riding hills, it will be no big deal. For anybody who has ridden nothing but pancake flat terrain, it will feel different, but still isn't very hard.