THE LADDERS!
They terrify me. Nothing sends cold shivers down my spine like dismounting from a ladder over a deadly drop.
Always press E to get on and off of ladders. Problem solved.
I use my jump key :o I’m Dooooooomed
I think the “E” key worked in the original Half-Life as well. I still managed to forget it many times and more often than not, when dismounting at the top of a ladder to a ledge, I would just fall off and crash to my death (or suffer severe bone fractures).
In Black Mesa, I’ve had this happen less times so far, although at one point where there is some slippery floor near an open elevator shaft, I tried repeatedly to jump and grab on to a ladder (which ultimately I think you can’t or not supposed to do, due to some enofrced collisions) and I died so many times it wasn’t even funny in the end.
Use Key is your friend.
The mach speed ladders in Half-Life are far more dangerous.
I agree. It seems super simple. When near the ladder, press the use key and you get sucked onto the ladder. When you get to the point you want to get off you can just hit jump.
The one thing about ladders that is tricky is when you are jumping towards the ladder. If you come at it from and angle, you are doomed.
I prefer those HL1 style ladders because they worked far more reliably and simply. They weren’t realistic by any means, but for a game they work better.
Something I always find amusing is how fast Gordon can climb ladders. Of course, I wouldn’t want him to climb at a realistic pace otherwise it would just be really dull. But Gordon must really be the fastest ladder climber in the world.
People can do amazing things if their most important desire is to survive whatever hazards there may be. 
Back to the topic:
Those ladders terrified me in some way, for some time, as well - until I found out that using the Use key can be very effective.
I recall an instance when Gordon was about to drown and I didn’t have enough time to have him swim to the surface. Ladder to the rescue! He climbs ladders about three times a fast as he swims, and he can climb ladders underwater.
I prefer them too, because it’s faster.
To be fair, if you are underwater and are a bad swimmer like me, a ladder is actually helpful to go back up. 
Ah, INTERESTING. I have NEVER used ‘use’ to mount/dismount ladders. I will try it and see how it goes.
I think you could turn around 180 degrees while on a ladder in the original and stay connected to the ladder until you decided to jump off. Maybe this is what makes dismounting ladders so weird in black mesa because you’re still slightly looking at the ladder when trying to get off so it just re-mounts it?
Half-Life 1 Ladders > Any Other Ladder
Simply because there’s a chance you can clip through the ladder and not grab onto it at all, so you just fall all the way down. I died a good amount of times from that.
Oh my sweet summer child, what do you know of fear? Fear is for the Dentons. When the ladders fling you from rooftops from the slightest errors. When both of your legs are down to zero HP and you’ve run out of medkits and just want an NSF trooper to come by and put you out of your misery.
Señores, even me, the person who doesn’t play this kind of games (Black Mesa is exception), had no problems with ladders. “E” to grab it, “E” or jump to let it go.
Easy
Well, I think the ladders are fine, but the use key technique should be teached with a prompt in unforeseen consequences. I learned this reading the forums…