My earliest abbing experience ? Must have been Scouts age 11 off Walton on the Naze cliffs (1968 the year), but I recall, age 9 (1966), being given my first and only "old" rope ladder by my parents, bought for my birthday from an army surplus shop opposite colchester castle. I always rigged this myself. I used to regularly climb out of my upstairs bedroom window with my younger brother following, descending onto concrete path below. No lifelines, no parent supervision after first days play. I tied it to a bed leg if I recall, using a round turn and two half hitches. Even rigged string and slip knot to auto release it from the ground, so I could then climb up. Kept me amused for about 2 years til we moved house.
During play the ladder got into bad repair so my father taught me how to re-whip the wooden rungs top and bottom that were pusded thro the three strand main rope - worked fine but I did not have the strength to make them real tight, so they occasionally came undone, but it was climbed regardless.
That was all like 40 years ago !
Parents take a different view now a days ...