He did it!

Ambleside Youth Hostel has spiky wifi so I'm having to post this blip late, now that we're back in London.

I'm proud to record that on this Monday morning, Boy and bike conquered the outrageous twin Lakeland mountain passes Hardknott and Wrynose (an epic ascent of almost 2,000 feet with maximum zigzagging gradients of 1:3)
Wiki it people if you don't know of them...
Negotiating this pack road in a car is terrifying enough, watching my son
crunching, crouching, cursing through the absurdly steep hairpins was almost too much for this washed-up, soft-headed old crock screaming, echoing AllezAllez in froggy encouragement.

Anyway he made it (just) up Wrynose, then after a 3 minute calming, breezed the even more gnarly Hardknott ( he said he'd warmed up by then) and then on, on covering an almost 90km jaunt by Coniston and through Hawkshead where I gathered him up and drove back to the Hostel for a shower and quick calm down (see first 2 extras)
An hour later we were striking further north to Keswick, then west to the Solway Coast and Maryport for high tea with the truly bless-ed Uncle Gerard (see extras)
Boy slept smugly as I drove back to Ambleside, just in time to snatch an inky pic (see last extra) which on any other day would have been star entry for me.
A quick drink together, then Boy heads for bed while I try to subdue the pride inside with another...