Interesting thread, but so far mostly about why, how, ATC, conflicts, and whether good or bad idea.
But I am intrigued by what this says about pilot training and qualifications. Power pilots are advised to treat cloud with the greatest respect, given 4 hrs of IF training, told about 180 degree turns and train on aircraft with at least an AI. We are advised to get an IMC asap and then only use it in an emergency. We are always reading about people who "lost it" in cloud.
So can someone explain how glider pilots manage with minimal training, minimal instrumentation and hardly ever seem to come to grief?