Wood ladders? C'mon, you guys are getting long in the tooth, (or like to have a workout) lol.
It sounds like the OP want's a platform that is more stable than a ladder and I can't congratulate him enough on figuring that out. There are two kinds of ladder users, those that are comfortable at heights on one and know how to safely use it and all the rest. I hire guys to use ladders and I can tell within 10 seconds whether they're staying on the ground or can get up on one. I spent the better part of two days, last week, on either a 10' step or a 24' extension ladder.
I'd suggest the OP get a baker's scaffold. They are small enough to store easily and offer stability at a moderate height.
Baker;s scaffold