5th October 2017. An ascent of Oxnop Common 584m/32m in the North Pennines, Yorkshire. 7.9km, with 210m of ascent. 2hrs 10mins.

I had driven home to North Wales from Croydon on the day before, with Sunday in the company of AT to look forward to - an opportunity to visit some empty lonely English fells. We opted for the Pennines, for some easy hills, given the forecast was for dull cloudy weather brought in on a strong southerly wind.

We parked on the edge of the escarpment at 438m above the village of Askrigg, by the start of a track which would lead us all the way to the summit. We followed it west in murky weather with occasional snatches of weak sunshine. Passing the remote cottage of Stackhill House the track gradually swung north, deteriorating into a boggy path through the peat hags. It then swung west again to reach the summit on a knoll in the expanse of the wide grouse moor. It was not a place to stay, as the wind was fierce and chilling.

After the normal summit rituals we returned by our outward route, passing a group of men near the cottage who appeared to be hunting rabbits. It was then down into Askrigg for a drink in a hostelry to plan our next hill, with the weather worsening.