I had such a situation just last summer. The quite popular 9 miles trail, at one place going down along the small creek bed to the scenic waterfall on the ocean beach, had been quickly (in the matter of hours) worn out in one critical place to the level that there were no easy way to get back up the cliff from the beach anymore using just bare hands (people were jumping down the small cliff and eventually destroyed the natural "step stone" below). Those on the beach already were stuck at first, but then had to help each other to get over the cliff back pulling and pushing their friends over about 5.5 feet high obstacle. I'm sure an Ice axe would be a perfect solution there for a late solo hiker (no friends or strangers to help). If not just simply gripping the soft sedimentary rock over the cliff in one hit of the axe and pulling himself over - then using it to quickly dig a couple of dimples or steps in the wall to step on...