"I heard from someone recently that some people tend to exaggerate the difficulty and we may indeed have been fine up there without crampons"
I always tell people to judge the conditions accordingly based on what they know of their skill level. Personally, I think the chute provides a fairly good visual of what you will be attempting, minus the ability to see problem areas up close. If it appears daunting to you at Trail Camp, then in my opinion, there is a high likelihood that you should probably not attempt it. However, it is also worth noting that for many people, the chute is their first experience at "real" mountaineering, and as a result, it may seem like the Hillary Step on Everest to them. The truth of the matter? It depends on your experience, as noted above, and the conditions that day.
In reality, it may not be as hard as some people make it out to be. Then again, if I had a dollar for every time I've had to bail someone out of trouble in that area, I'd be pretty well off. If you get halfway up, minus crampons/ice axe on certain days, and find yourself in over your head, there are a number of bad outcomes that can occur, even with other climbers deciding to assist you.
While its a bummer not making it up to the summit, I think you guys did a great job on your first backpack, and made the right choice based on what you're saying - the mountain will always be there for you to come back to!
