I tried it with an early savegame (after acquiring the map and leaving town), I got Ransome and he climbed the ladder without complaining. Well, with complaining, but without any other issues.
When you push the lever up there he goes down and then won’t climb the ladder until Cassie was there and is gone again (“I don’t want to meet ol’ Crazy Cassie on the ladder.”).
Also later after solving this particular puzzle you can still climb the ladder.
Isn´t that the same person that wrongly suggested you couldn´t make Reyes leave the hotel even though you finished Franklin´s list? I´d stop trusting that person if I were you…
There is so many smilies in that list I´m dying to use but the opportunity never seems to come up.
I love it when dragons do their nails while eating shrimp and pretzels then go bowling for joy at a Japanese pagoda: Freedom for the Falklands is third to crossed swords in Easter Island.
Sounds like the name of a very meta PnC adventure game.