In reply to jcw:
On review it appears I actually misread the original post. I neither have knowledge of or have heard anything about the quality of rock on the Arete Sans Nom. At all. For some reason I read it as continuing a traverse of the Drus over the Sans Nom. I'd been to the pub. By most accounts I've heard, the rock quality indeed isn't particularly fantastic if you continue over the Grand Dru in the direction of the Sans Nom.
For the record, the emphasis in my original reply was on from what I've heard - i.e. from speaking to people who have done the routes in question, and from spending a fair amount of time poring over accounts and topos and routes descriptions while thinking about looking at doing the Drus traverse. I don't think I'd ever claim to be a 'Chamonix guru', or even an 'aspirant guru'. Nor a grit guru, or an ice axe guru, or a Bernie Sanders guru, or a guru on any of the topics I've commented on lately.
I couldn't really give a f*ck about where I appear in a list of top posters. Other than the deranged, who would honestly think that being a prolific poster on an Internet forum makes them a foremost expert on the subject matter? I'd like to think that - on the subject of climbing at least - I only post where I think I can be helpful or contribute something to the discussion, but I'd never consider myself an expert. Not even remotely - I'm a committed punter at very best. In this instance, I thought the link might be of interest and thought it might be worth highlighting that I'd heard from a few source that a section of the ridge isn't particularly great. Talking about a completely different route. Only trying to be helpful, if admittedly a touch flippant.
(Do you honestly think that I think I'm entitled to make 'ex cathedra pronouncements' on anything because I've had a lot of spare time on my hands and have posted a lot recently? Bizarre.)
Try the other side of the bed tomorrow morning.
Post edited at 23:15