In reply to rif:
> I think we may be getting crossed wires here. When I did the ABP it was via the original NF route, surmounting the seracs by a pitch of about Scottish III where a snow ridge abutted them, then descending from ABP to the Col (nasty descent as I recall) before doing the ridge up to Mt B. But I added the comment that in those days the NF of the Col (then a straightforward-looking snow face off to R of ABP NF) was used by people heading for the Freney pillars; I guess they go via the Eccles these days.
Ah, right, understand now.
Yes, people climbing most of the big rock routes will go from the Eccles I think.
Funnily enough, when we got back down to the Val Veney, soaked and very tired, I thumbed a lift from someone who turned out to be a (I presume by his figure retired), Italian guide to get back to the car park for the cable car. He managed in 10 minutes to tell me in voluble, but not very accurate French that we had
1) climbed the wrong route (should have climbed the serac as you say)
2) descended the wrong way (didn't quite work out what the correct way was)
3) shouldn't have taken the chance with the bad weather
On the other hand, he knew exactly where I wanted to go and why, took me right to the car park and almost to the car, so that I was back with my mate before he had even got his boots off. Couldn't have been a better lift if I had been a pretty girl. So "si signor, whatever".