will actually work for a PPL with just the minimum simulated instrument time and no actual IMC experience.
For the PPL IF time I did do some in real cloud. It's interesting that in the US they have a concept of logging
actual time in real IMC, perhaps we need that in JAR land?
I can't say for real what I would have done in the situation that this poor guy found himself in...but I'm not sure I'd have climbed...reason being if I'd turned 180 degrees away from the mountains the risk of hitting anything would be low, often if you enter cloud while flying VFR there is more cloud above you then below you and climbing further into it opens the possibility of stalling. Once on top you'd have to come back down through it as well.
So with that in mind what I would probably have done is try and hold straight and level...and after calling ATC descended under their guidance.
By the way I'd highly recommend the IMC rating!