The State - News from July 24, 1989

Mark Wellman, a paraplegic using only his arms to climb, edged over a spectacular outcropping--a virtual point of no return--in his bid to scale the 3,000-foot El Capitan granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. “It’s the most spectacular part of the climb,” said park spokesperson Mallory Smith. “We call it the point of no return, because once you’re over the roof there’s no way back down,” she said. Wellman, 28, and climbing partner, Mike Corbett, 35, planned to scale the peak in six days, Smith said, but have slipped behind schedule because of fatigue caused by hot weather. Wellman, 28, is a park ranger; Corbett, 35, is a park janitor. Wellman said he is confident he will become the first paraplegic to conquer El Capitan and hopes his feat would be an inspiration to other handicapped people.