Just randomly, around this time of year in 2001 some buddies took me up the Pfeifferhorn. I didn't have a lot of ice axe experience, just a few self-arrest practice sessions, and hadn't climbed any of the big local peaks. At the top of the headwall getting out of Red Pine there was about a 10' vertical snow step, very imposing! Then up on the ridge we were in a whiteout and it was drizzling. On the plus side we walked right over the scrambly bits, but on the other hand those steep snow slopes disappearing into the cloud created a very high pucker factor.