Yeah, it can be tricky, and local knowledge helps a great deal - a Boss I once had battled the Mistral for nearly five hours in a Beaver - he said he wasn't sure if the ADF was working or not, stuck on the same heading! (I didn't ask why he stayed there that long - I think there was a General in the back)
You cannot afford to assume anything in mountains.
Please don't get me wrong - I'm not saying shallow approaches shouldn't be used (perhaps I should clarify the terminology - almost horizontal ones, where the collective is in the armpit and if a downdraught pushes you down you've got no hope of regaining your flight path).
I just object to people stating that shallow approaches, or whatever, are "the only way". I've flown with enough guys who have the experience to know what they are doing who use steeper approaches (indeed, I was taught that way). Of course, they use shallow ones as well. You just have to use what works.
As for transit flying, I did four years of a scheduled helicopter service between Glasgow and Fort William, and all sorts of places in between, and believe me, you soon learn the value of a smooth ride to regular customers!