In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
Rich Simpson on Action Direct,
"I believe the reason Action is still considered so hard is mostly due to the fact that, in this specific type of climbing, accompanied with years of hard work and preparation Wolfgang was substantially ahead of his time when climbing Action in 1990. So much so that climbers have only just begun to catch up and supersede Wolfgang's colossal effort.
Yes, in many styles, and general climbing ability Wolfgang was seen as a lesser to the likes of Moon, Moffatt and JB Tribout. But in this incredibly specific style, pulling hard on one fingered pockets with bad feet and simple sequences, Wolfgang quite simply shone beyond belief, and whilst shining, he found a climb that was made for him and suited his somewhat freakish ability perfectly. Albeit with a colossal amount of training and effort, he succeeded in a climb that was arguably 10 years ahead of time.
This theory, I believe was only recently proven when Action began to receive a significant amount of ascents from a variety of 'the pack' and in doing so was considered to be beneath the current cutting edge in difficulty. Action was climbed in 1990? And it wasn't until 2005 that it began to be a mere test piece rather than something right at the cutting edge. "
http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,6224.40.html