I feel like a bit of a dope for completely failing to see the ladder
aspect.
But I did have some nagging doubts that there was something that I had not
thought of since not one single picture in our many deck books included
horizontal rails, except one that also had a bench which I had immediately
discarded as unsafe. So you guys supplied the missing piece for me. No
horizontal rails, just got the email from DH.


Good choice! Good luck with it...
jojo