When there is a soul sand/grass path/farmland under ladder and when you walk into(onto?) ladder the character does not start climbing automatically, you have to jump to activate climbing. I think it is because the game thinks that character is not on the same level with ladder
Confirmed for 1.12-pre5. Maybe related to MC-42726 (which was resolved intended and describes the same issue with stairs).Seems intended, see MC-3707