Thanks - this is what im doing but I have not chosen an ascendancy yet due to waiting for a new meta build to come out of the wood work.
I am currently running the following - I am on hardcore also mind you. I am level 54 in act 2 Cruel. I have 1200 life and 1600 ES(from Talents)
Frost Bolt - Scatter Shot
Cold Snap
Frost Wall
Frost Bomb
Blasphemy spirit gem with hypothermia so when im in range monsters/bosses auto get applied with Hypothermia without it being another cast. For Trash i just frost bolt and cold snap and bosses I frost wall with frostbomb, then cast frost bolt and then reapply frostwall and frost bomb and cold snap the frost bolts. I realize i'm gimping myself on damage without having an ascendancy but playing hardcore is taxing to have to go through the campaign again if I make the wrong choice.