Someone mentioned a 1.6 g spike at the start of the climb. Doesn't sound like much but would feel quite violent. It also probably mean they had just clipped a quite strong updraft. Personally I believe that no pilot would maintain a pitch attitude of 16 deg at height intentionally it would look too weird.
Also if you go hands free from straight & level, neutral stick, the a/c tends to climb at high level due it trying to maintain 1 g.
Methinks too much blame is being metered out to the pilots. But then again it is ever so.