The Ramp
The first northern office had a door in its northern wall, which led to the bottom of a ramp. The ramp led up to the roof of the western offices. One could walk along that roof, headed south, until he came to the southern side of the Heichal.

There was another ramp along the southern side of the Heichal, on the roof of the southern offices, that led to a door into the chamber above the Kodesh. Only workmen who had to do repair work went into the upper chamber.