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Also on this page is a new automated feature that highlights the top ascents that have been logged in the UKC Logbooks - giving you an insight in to what UKC users have been ticking in the last few days. This will be accompanied by a weekly Forum Thread with a round-up of these ascents.

Björn Who?!

Björn Pohl is a well known and respected internet climbing journalist. He has worked for various websites, including UKClimbing.com (see his UKC sport climbing article here) and has been working as a climbing journalist since back in 1998.

I thought it was time to ask Björn a few questions about himself, his work and his climbing:

Well Jack, I'm a 38 year old kid who loves playing with my friends both out on the pebbles and indoors on plastic. I'm married and have three kids, 11, 9 and 1,5. Professionally I started out as a financial economist (boring), changed to teaching (boring after a while) and am now trying to make a living as a freelance journalist. We'll see how that goes, but at least it's not boring.

And where do you live?

I live in Stockholm, Sweden. Some call it the climbing capital of the world, but they're no doubt insane.

What type of climbing are you in to?

Well... to be honest I'm in to every imaginable type of climbing. It's all cool, but I only practice bouldering myself. Short attention span I guess.

I discovered climbing through skiing roughly 20 years ago and I've found myself focusing on increasingly smaller objects ever since. The mountains turned into sport crags, which turned into boulders. If this continues, twenty years from now I'll be into gravel...

Any favourite climbing areas?

So far, my favourite area is Chironico in Ticino, where the boulders are steep and the climbing powerful. My crappy technique could have something to do with it I suppose. That's also where I did my first (and last?) 8A, back in 2005. I don't think I'm over the hill quite yet though...

And back when I was sport climbing, I spent a lot of time in Arco, and I'd definitely still call it a favourite of mine.

What is TheLowDown and when did it start?

TheLowDown started out as an independent blog in November 2008, and is now a part of UKClimbing.com. I write about the hardest ascents of routes and boulders all over the world, and the people who make it happen.

I began my ”career” as a climbing journalist back in 1998 and have kept writing news and the odd article ever since. Yes, there must be something wrong with me, but so far, no one has been able to find out just what.

Anything else you want to add?

Just that until the end of August or so, I'm a stay at home dad, meaning you can expect the reporting to improve around that time ;)

Thanks Björn and I look forward to seeing your News Items up on UKClimbing.com!

• View the new UKC LowDown page