"Finally hit the infamous Indian Ladder on the east ridge of Mt Tam. Ran to the base via H-Line to Blithedale Ridge, on the way up tagged Knob Hill via a short spur that ends in dense bushes. Didn't bushwhack to what looks like the exact highest point but I'm calling good enough in this case. The unsigned/unmaintained/unforgiving Indian Ladder starts as a cable line trail: straight up the fall-line, highly eroded, and loose footing. There are a couple of eroded places where you need to use your hands. It has 4 sections, crossing over Eldridge Grade Fire Road 2 times and meeting up with it a 3rd. Topping out at the lookout rock on the east ridge is a great feeling. From there, it's a short way on the Verna Dunshee Trail to the scramble route to the summit. The prospect of going down via the Indian Ladder didn't seem appealing, so decided to take the gradual way down Eldridge. Legs started to tighten up on the incredibly long switchbacks, so ended up cutting things short by descending the last 2 sections of the ladder -- wasn't too bad. Was a good adventure exploring new routes. Eyeing some of the north side routes next." — scott • Nov 4, 2020