Ladders up, jumping down

I did build ladders to cabinet door so that cats can climb up to upper small cabinet near to ceiling.

They did learn quickly to go up the ladder and they love to have high spot to spy everything from above.

Problem is they don't use ladder to come down, that is over 6 feet high where they choose to jump down and I can see they don't enjoy so much of that part of their new place.

At outdoors they did climb even close to 100 feet high up to tall pine tree, they did understand to come down backwards there, but now they seem to forgotten that their claws work only to tail's direction. Sometimes they use old coat that I did hang next to ladders to slide down, nose first, instead of tail first which would work much better for them.

Has anyone managed to teach cat to come ladder down tail first?

Or maybe I should remove ladder and attach a log of wood to cabinet door instead if that is only way for them to understand how to come down properly without hesitating for them and missed heartbeats for me.

Smallest one seem to be most clever and used hat self as intermediate landing zone and jumps down from there.

Of course jumping is good for bones and whole body as workout, but I think they would enjoy the new place more if they would know how to come down in more controlled manner.

Well, my cats do not always go down trees tail first. If the tree is less than 7 ft. tall they either jump down or slide down head first. I don't think your kitties forgot how their claws work, they are just confident about their "descent" skills.   Your idea of a log is good but maybe you can add more "intermediate landing zones" like a side table under the cabinets. 

I did build wooden pathway to near window, put cat tree to table that is front of window and now they can use that to come down.

Then I added couple of pillows to that upper cabinet. As there is fireplace on that room, they now like to sleep up there when I set fire into fireplace, ladders see bit less usage, but at least smallest one climbs those quite well, it is good workout for them