So we don't hoist ourselves on our own halyards trying to ID our colleagues. (janefriedman.com)
Some mast have steps welded to the side of them, you can have the mast taken down, there are some webbing style ladders that can be hoisted by the main halyard, or you can find a couple of willing accomplices to simply hoist you up from the deck of the boat using a line already in place for raising the mainsail. (careertrend.net)