An ex-colleague of mine received a bravery award for hover taxing in fog up a mountain to rescue a casualty. Having recovered the casualty into the aircraft from the low hover, it was decided the only way to get back down again was to descend on a reciprocal track in reverse (as in tail first, so the pilot could maintain visual reference on the mountain.
It was in the dark, too, btw.
No "hat on, no coffee" interview on that occasion.
It's a fine line to tread, but there you are.