On the climbing the first leg has typical Cotswold hills, sharp up and down, there is the Compton Abdale 'Alp' to climb after you leave the village but once you get to the Broadway Monument you're on to flatter stuff. I've always found the second leg to Daventry rather undulating, no big hills but up and down. Leaving Daventry there is a steep climb to do but there is little of note after that, just the usual terrain.